Cyber-herding and cyber activism countering Qutbists on the internet

Abstract

The Internet provides Islamic militants ("Qutbists") a golden opportunity to bypass normal media outlets and take their message directly to the people. This allows them to spread their ideas to an ever-growing audience. What should be done about these web sites has been the focus of an ongoing debate. Some advocate shutting down these web sites while others prefer to monitor them for information. Both views have merit, and both have problems. The purpose of this thesis is to propose and evaluate three strategies for countering Qutbists on the internet: a covert active strategy of cyber-herding, an overt passive strategy of cyber activism, and a combination of these two strategies.