Cyber threats: taxonomy, impact, policies, and way forward

• Published in: KSII transactions on Internet and information systems 2022, 16(7), , pp.2425-2458
• Main Authors: Malik, Annas W, Abid, Adnan, Farooq, Shoaib, Abid, Irfan, Nawaz, Naeem A, Ishaq, Kashif
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Cyberterrorism; Data security; Methods; Security management; Spyware; Technology and state; 컴퓨터학
• ISSN: 1976-7277; 1976-7277
• DOI: 10.3837/tiis.2022.07.017

The continuous evolution and proliferation of computer technology and our increasing dependence on computer technology have created a new class of threats: "cyber threats." These threats can be defined as activities that can undermine a society's ability to maintain internal or external order while using information technology. Cyber threats can be mainly divided into two categories, namely cyber-terrorism and cyber-warfare. A variety of malware programs are often used as a primary weapon in these cyber threats. A significant amount of research work has been published covering different aspects of cyber threats, their countermeasures, and the policy-making for cyber laws. This article aims to review the research conducted in various important aspects of cyber threats and provides synthesized information regarding the fundamentals of cyber threats; discusses the countermeasures for such threats; provides relevant details of high-profile cyber-attacks; discusses the developments in global policy-making for cyber laws, and lastly presents promising future directions in this area. Keywords: Cyber-attacks, cyber security, cyber security laws, cyber-terrorism, cyber warfare, cyber-weapons, malware, malware detection.