A two-day conference will be held at the University’s Bay Campus on 27 and 28 June 2017, and is being organised by the University’s Cyberterrorism Project, which brings together researchers from different subjects to look at all sides of cyberterrorism, including identifying the threat, and improving ways of tackling it.

The Cyberterrorism Project is based in the University’s College of Law and Criminology.

The first day of the Terrorism and Social Media conference will focus on how terrorists are using social media to gain a deeper, empirically-grounded understanding of terrorist groups and lone actor terrorists. The second day will focus on questions of response, including comparisons between different forms of response and different jurisdictions and cultures, and considering what criteria should be employed as evaluative standards.

The event will feature a variety of presentations from experts in the field of cyberterrorism and social media. Keynote speakers include:

• Former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service, Sir John Scarlett.
• Leading constitutional theorist, Professor Philip Bobbitt.
• Professor of international security, Maura Conway.
• Professor Bruce Hoffman, commissioner on the Independent Commission to Review the FBI’s Post-9/11 Response to Terrorism and Radicalization.

Professor Stuart Macdonald, Director of the Cyberterrorism Project, said: “The Cyberterrorism Project is really excited to be hosting the Terrorism and Social Media Conference this month. Two fully-packed days are planned which will bring together speakers and attendees from a diverse range of professions, disciplinary backgrounds and jurisdictions to explore terrorist use of social media and current responses. For those interested in this subject, the conference will be a great opportunity for furthering research, networking and bridging the gap between academics and non-academic stakeholders".