By some definitions, it might be difficult to distinguish which instances of online activities are cyberterrorism or cybercrime. Participating in a cyberattack affects the terror threat perception, even if it isn't done with a violent approach. Other authors prefer a broader definition, which includes cybercrime. Some authors opt for a very narrow definition, relating to deployment by known terrorist organizations of disruption attacks against information systems for the primary purpose of creating alarm, panic, or physical disruption.
Acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks, especially of personal computers attached to the Internet by means of tools such as computer viruses, computer worms, phishing, malicious software, hardware methods, programming scripts can all be forms of internet terrorism. Cyberterrorism is the use of the Internet to conduct violent acts that result in, or threaten, the loss of life or significant bodily harm, in order to achieve political or ideological gains through threat or intimidation.
