When Political Activism Becomes Cyberterrorism

Law Blog

When you are involved in political activities online, you will want to be aware of what you can and cannot do. While many activities are considered to be protected free speech activities, others are considered to be an act of terrorism. If you are accused of crossing a line, you'll need help from a criminal defense attorney.

The Role of Cyberterrorism

A cyberterrorism attack is meant to have the same impact as a normal terror attack. It is meant to instill fear and uncertainty in the target with the goal of accomplishing a political objective. In other cases, the act of terrorism might simply be to disrupt legal activities. These attacks can be considered serious crimes and can lead to serious penalties.

The primary reason why cyberterrorism is so common is that it is easier and less expensive than a conventional form of terrorism. It's possible to carry these attacks out from a remote location and exploit loopholes in a cybersecurity system. However, it's also possible to be falsely accused of a cyberterrorism attack and you'll need to immediately contact a criminal defense attorney for help.

Access to Information

You are allowed to access information that is publicly available. However, you are not allowed to hack into a system to access information. You are especially not allowed to hack in order to obtain personal information or steal money from your victim. Additionally, you must deliberately seek to gain access to confidential information. If you accessed it by accident, such as if you use a device that is logged into an encrypted server, you may be able to use this as a defense.

Disruption of Online Services

A common form of cyberterrorism is when an individual uses a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack to shut down a website. While common, this is actually considered an act of terrorism. Most often, this is done to stop the publication of information with which the attacker disagrees. This action can lead to a fine or prison sentence. 

A DDoS attack can be especially illegal depending on how it is performed. For example, some hackers will gain unauthorized access to computer systems to be able to execute the attack. Criminals may also attempt to frame you for this type of attack. For this reason, you'll want to contact a criminal defense attorney promptly if you are accused of a DDoS attack. Contact a criminal defense attorney for more information. 

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29 October 2020

Noni and the Accident

My name is Noni. When I was in college, I was hit by a car while crossing the street. My life was never in danger, but I did break a few bones and had a lot of huge medical bills. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get involved with an attorney, but unfortunately, it came down to that. I used a family friend who is an accident attorney to get some compensation. A few years later, I was hit while riding my bike and had to go through the same process. I suppose I'm lucky to be alive. And it's thanks to accident attorneys that I have been able to put my life back together. I started this blog as a way to let others know just how much lawyers can help you in certain situations.