Anyone who logs on to the Internet can become a victim of Virtual Terrorism, whether via e-mail, social media, a Google search, or simply by logging on to a computer. Anyone seeking to do harm to others online can be a virtual terrorist, and it is incredibly easy to become one. That is the era we live in now -- someone sitting behind a laptop half a world away can interfere with, invade, or take over your life, business, or government. You may not even realize it, but you may already have become a victim; if you have not, you will become one eventually.In this extremely timely, important, and compelling book, Daniel Wagner redefines what terrorism has become in the 21st century. Unlike more conventional types of terrorism, in which the perpetrator seeks recognition and reveals his or her identity, with Virtual Terrorism the identity of the person, group or government responsible for acts of terror is deliberately hidden in an anonymous, borderless, and lawless world. Their motives and objectives may be unclear, and the length of an attack, or whether it will be repeated, are generally unknown. What virtual terrorists have in common with more traditional terrorists is the use of coercion or intimidation to achieve their objectives -- if they choose to reveal what those objectives are -- but that is where the commonality ends. They can strike at any time, invisibly and silently. You may never know they are even there, and they may plant malware on your computer that steals your information for years without being discovered.Wagner takes us on a comprehensive tour of the Virtual Terrorism landscape -- from cybercrime and bioterrorism to drones and artificial intelligence -- to reveal the chilling reality that confronts us all. After reading this book, you may not ever want to log on to your smartphone or the Internet again. The book is a clarion call for individuals, businesses, and governments to rise up against virtual terrorists, for if we fail to do so now, the battle may soon be lost.
Daniel Wagner is the founder and CEO of Country Risk Solutions, a cross-border risk management consulting firm, and has three decades of experience managing international risk in the private and public sectors. Daniel began his career at AIG in New York and subsequently spent five years as Guarantee Officer for the Asia Region at the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in Washington, DC. During that time, he was responsible for underwriting political risk insurance for projects in a dozen Asian countries. After serving as Regional Manager for Political Risks for Southeast Asia and Greater China for AIG in Singapore, Daniel moved to Manila, Philippines, where he served in a variety of capacities in the Asian Development Bank's Office of Co-financing Operations, including as Senior Guarantees and Syndications Specialist. He then became Senior Vice President of Country Risk at GE Energy Financial Services. Daniel has published more than 600 articles on current affairs and risk management and is a regular contributor to the South China Morning Post, Sunday Guardian, and The National Interest, among many others. He is also the author of four other books-"AI Supremacy", "Global Risk Agility and Decision-Making", "Managing Country Risk", and "Political Risk Insurance Guide". He holds Master's degrees in International Relations from the University of Chicago and in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird), in Phoenix. Daniel received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Richmond College, in London. See www.countryrisksolutions.com for more information about him and to access a repository of his written work. *eMail: daniel.wagner@countryrisksolutions.com. *linkedin.com/in/danielwagnercrs *twitter.com/countryriskmgmt
