Master’s Thesis

DefenseA Master’s thesis defense was held at the College of Political Science, Al-Nahrain University. The thesis was presented by Zainab Hassan Hadi Al-Kinani and titled “The Exploitation of the Cyber Domain by Terrorist Organizations and Its Implications for National Security – Selected Models.”The examining committee consisted of: Prof. Dr. Sarmad Abdul Sattar Amin — Chairman Asst. Prof. Dr. Salah Mahdi Hadi — Member Asst. Prof. Dr. Anmar Ali Ibrahim — Member Asst. Prof. Dr. Hammam Khudhair Mutlaq — Member and Supervisor The study examined the transformations in the nature of terrorist activity amid the rapid development of information and communication technologies. It focused in particular on the shift by the terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda and ISIS from using traditional means to exploiting the cyber domain for propaganda, recruitment, mobilization, coordination, financing, psychological warfare, and information influence. This shift has resulted in security, military, political, social, economic, and technological repercussions on the national security of states.The study aimed to analyze the nature of terrorist organizations’ exploitation of the cyber domain, and to identify the tools and mechanisms adopted by Al-Qaeda and ISIS in the digital environment.The study concluded that the cyber domain has become one of the strategic arenas exploited by terrorist organizations to compensate for part of the decline in their on-the-ground capabilities. This is due to the domain’s ability to transcend geographic borders, its low cost, and its speed of dissemination and impact. The study also concluded that countering this threat requires moving beyond traditional security responses toward an integrated strategy that combines cybersecurity, intelligence, technology, international cooperation, and proactive prevention.