Countering cyber terrorism a war without smoke: UN official

Chen Weixiong, deputy executive director of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), delivers a speech at the Cybersecurity Forum of the second World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, Dec 16, 2015. [Photo/china.com.cn]

Cybersecurity and counter-cyber terrorism have become impending issues, said Chen Weixiong, deputy executive director of the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Wednesday.

Chen made the remarks at the Cybersecurity Forum of the second World Internet Conference, the most high-profile Internet-related event in China, held in the water town of Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, Dec 16 to 18.

Chen pointed out that unlike other anti-terrorism actions, fighting against terrorism at cyberspace is intangible, or a war without smoke.

He stated a few difficulties in combating cyber terrorism. First, there is not a universal cognition of combating cyber terrorism. President Xi Jinping appealed for a widely accepted criteria made by international community to regulate cyber activities in this morning's speech at the opening ceremony of the conference.

Second, terrorists try every possible ways to avoid detection and supervision, making it very difficult for law enforcement agencies to capture them.

Third, there exists great difference between network forensics and physical evidence. Courts of many countries don't accept evidence from the Internet.

Fourth, it is hard to find a balance between countering cyber-terrorism and protecting human's rights of freedom of speech and freedom of information.

Fifth, international cooperation is difficult as different countries have different criteria judging whether it is a terrorist activity.

It is also hard to prevent the spread of terrorism via Internet as it targets teenagers, he added.

The United Nations plays an important role in gathering all the member nations to discuss the issue equally and share their experiences, Chen said.

The World Internet Conference, with a goal of "building a cyberspace community of shared destiny", has gathered together more than 2,000 participants, including state leaders, government officials, business leaders, Internet titans, and experts from more than 120 countries and regions.

The guests at 10 forums will exchange views on a wide range of topics such as Internet culture communication, Internet innovation and development, digital economic cooperation, cyber security, Internet plus, cyberspace governance and the digital Silk Road.