The next generation of terrorists will grow up in a digital world, with ever more powerful and easy-to-use hacking tools at their disposal. They might see greater potential for cyberterrorism than the terrorists of today do, and their level of knowledge and skill relating to hacking will be greater. Hackers and insiders might be recruited by terrorists or become self-recruiting cyberterrorists, the Timothy McVeighs of cyberspace. Some might be moved to action by cyberpolicy issues, making cyberspace an attractive venue for carrying out an attack. Cyberterrorism could also become more attractive as the real and virtual worlds become more closely coupled, with a greater number of physical devices attached to the Internet. Some of these may be remotely controlled. Unless these systems are carefully secured, conducting an operation that physically harms someone may be as easy as penetrating a website is today.

Although cyberterrorism is likely to be at least a few years into the future, hacktivism is here today and likely to stay. Cyberspace is now much more than a place for electronic commerce and communication. It has become a digital battleground for hacker warriors.