Although cyber attacks have caused billions of dollars in damage and affected the lives of millions, few if any can be characterised as acts of terrorism.

Cyber terrorism could also become more attractive as the real and virtual worlds become more closely coupled, with automobiles, appliances, and other devices attached to the Internet.

I prefer leaving things to the market as much as possible.

Further, 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.

If we take as given that critical infrastructures are vulnerable to a cyber terrorist attack, then the question becomes whether there are actors with the capability and motivation to carry out such an operation.

While the vast majority of hackers may be disinclined towards violence, it would only take a few to turn cyber terrorism into reality.

Systems are complex, so controlling an attack and achieving a desired level of damage may be harder than using physical weapons.