INFORMATION SECURITY

STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CENTER

BIO-TERRORISM: UNREALISTIC WEAPON OR

AN UNAPPRECIATED THREAT

Ana Sulakvelidze

Student of Information Security Studies and Analysis Center

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*******

Current document represents educational material and it is based on non-classified sources

and on personal observations. In case of any other kind use of this publication, author is not
responsible. The opinions and recommendations represented by this document should not be
considered as official position of INFORMATION SECUIRTY STUDIES AND ANALYSIS
CENTER, which by itself represents this document.

© Ana Sulakvelidze
All Rights Reserved.

It is strictly forbidden copying and redistribution of this document, without author’s

agreement.

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BIO-TERRORISM: UNREALISTIC WEAPON OR AN UNAPPRECIATED THREAT

Bio-terrorism is a kind of terrorism which uses biological

agents for spreading fear and intimidation upon individual
or individual groups, for religious, political, financial, or
personal purposes1. Several lists of lethal biological agents
that may be transformed in biological weapons are widely
known. All these agents are mostly available in the different
parts of the world. 2

Biological weapons are included in the group of weapons of mass destruction –CBRN.
Biological toxins and pathogens are genetically modified and weaponized in order to add
greater lethality to their influence. Biological pathogens and toxins are characterized by
dramatic irregularity and unpredictability; if their genetic code is not modified and adjusted in
laboratory to the different environmental conditions,
their resistance could vary substantially. Biological
weapons may be disseminated by various methods:
air, food, and water contamination, also skin and
blood infection. The results of food and water
contamination by biological weapons are very similar
to epidemics, and terrorists rarely address these
methods of dissemination; while air, skin and blood
infections represent quite attractive methods for them.
The process of BW dissemination appears to be pretty
challenging. In particular, biological weapons should undergo a specific mutation in order to
retain their lethal characteristics when placed in divergent balloons and containers. 3

Even though, nowadays terrorist groups and organizations are not particularly concentrated on
using biological weapons in their activities, the history of BW application is rather
impressive. 4 Several noteworthy cases can be cited from the history: in fourteenth century
Tartars spread epidemic called The Great Plague as a result of which one-third of the
European population was killed; during the Indian Wars in North America in the 1760s British
colonial commanders planned to supply Indians with the smallpox infected hospital
blankets; during the First World War Germans were alleged in attempt to spread cholera

1
What is Bioterrorism. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/bioterrorism/overview.asp
2
Ibid
3
Biological Terrorism. Scientific Encyclopedia. Technology and Society. http://science.jrank.org/pages/63316/biological-
terrorism.html
4
History of Bioterrorism. http://www.bio-terry.com/HistoryBioTerr.html

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bacilli in Italy; Japanese were first who carried out a biological warfare when they dropped
plague-ridden fleas and grain over Chinese cities after the invasion in 1937; Communist forces
used biological weapon in Laos, Kampuchea, and Afghanistan. 5

Of note, how modern terrorists approach the biological weapons. For instance, Al-Qaeda,
nonetheless more intensely oriented on nuclear weapons, considers BW as a powerful
weapon with competitive future. According to Al-Qaeda’s one of the prominent leaders,
Ayman al-Zawahiri, biological weapons have great capacity and should be considered as one
of the most attractive weapons for terrorists for several reasons: they are cheap to produce, the
destructive power of these weapons is no less than that of nuclear weapons, a germ attack is
often detected days after it occurs, which raises the number of victims, and defense against
such weapons is very difficult, particularly if large quantities are used. 6

Nowadays all major nations are engaged in the research on

biological weapons and their applications, nevertheless, the
experience and relevant knowledge regarding these weapons
are insufficient. Colin Powell, former U.S. Chief of Staff, said
in 1993, “The one that frightens me to death, perhaps even
more so than tactical nuclear weapons, and the one we have
the least capability against, is biological weapons.” 7 Pretty
divergent viewpoints exist among experts on whether
biological weapons are easily and cheaply available or not.
While some experts believe that, biological agents may be weaponized on a “kitchen table”
without major difficulties and finances; the others contend that, a good deal of specific
knowledge, even higher education, laboratory conditions, and several millions of dollars are
needed in order to create biological weapons. 8

Indeed, the question: are biological weapons cheap and easily accessible for amateurs as well
as for professionals, is not yet definitely answered. Nevertheless, the fact that BWs have a
huge potential and can devastate the world is absolutely realistic. The international
community, particularly Interpol, have already addressed Bioterrorism as a serious threat for
the world’s endurance. Interpol Bioterrorism Prevention Recourse Center conducts several
programs and workshops in order to raise public awareness concerning the issue. 9
Furthermore, Interpol cooperates with the other regional and international organizations in
order to improve productivity of the ongoing programs. 10

5
Bruce Hoffman. CBRN Terrorism Post9/11
6
Ibid
7
Bruce Hoffman. CBRN Terrorism Post9/11
8
Ibid
9
Interpol Bioterrorism Prevention Program. http://www.interpol.int/Public/BioTerrorism/Prevention.asp

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In sum, regardless the fact that Bioterrorism is not so frequent

and popular among people as Jihad and nuclear weapons are,
it remains one of the most dangerous and ominous threats our
modern world faces today. Consequently, the international
cooperation in the research on Bioterrorism and the ways of
its prevention should indubitably deepen and expand. Some
may assert that Bioterrorism with its extremely lethal
outcomes cannot be popular among terrorists, because “terrorists want a lot of people
watching, not a lot of people dead”. Even though, I do acknowledge that terrorists are
concentrated more on psychological shock than on slaughter, I contend that in our modern
reality when religious terrorism is ever growing, biological weapons become considerably
tangible and realistic threat for the whole world.

10
Interpol. International Cooperation on Bioterrorism.
http://www.interpol.int/Public/BioTerrorism/Cooperation.asp

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ABOUT THE CENTER

Information Security Studies and Analysis Center is the first and only in the Caucasus region
oriented towards the field of Information Security.

Establishment of the organization was caused by the new reality to develop after 2008
Russian-Georgian conflict. The war in 2008 showed us that there were no systems developed
so far to provide protection against the means of informational warfare and cyber-terrorism,
this equally is a challenge to both public and private sectors. Non-existence of respective law
basis, governmental institutions and appropriate means to fight against cyber-crime and cyber-
terrorism affects not only the homeland security but economy of the country also.

Currently in both private or governmental sectors there are modern technologies actively
implemented, the bigger is the process automation scale the more dificcult is its control. In the
conditions where there are espionage and other security challenges, that are of a technological
character, there are new threats to rise, consequently security of the information becomes vital
to not only governmental organizations, but private sector also.

Opposite to the named above threats and challenges our organization gathered a team of
experienced professionals, that gives us the opportunity for the first time in Georgia to
establish institutional mechanisms to fight cyber-terrorism, piracy, corporate espionage and so
on.

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OUR SERVICES

We offer unique services to private and governmental sectors, such as:

 Training of specialists in the fields of Information Secuirty, intelligence and anti-

terrorism;
 Staffing;
 Training to different type of employees of private and governmental sectors;
 Audit in terms of informational security aspects and preparation of respective
recommendations;
 Development of standards and SOPs;
 Creation of organizational units for threat monitoring and incident reaction;
 Consultancy in IT infrastructural issues, legal part of IT projects;
 Development of software/hardware solutions, provision and implementation;
 IT outsourcing, protected hosting on US servers, domain registration and etc.

The first priority to the center still remains study of the technological, geopolitical and
military challenges existing in the country, at the same time in-depth analysis of such, and
timely provision of the objective information to public. For this purpose analytical unit of
ISSAC periodically prepares and publishes analysis of modern threats and global trends. We
are maximally transparent in our activities and we help out those interested in these fields, we
give them knowledge base and encourage them to become part of the various projects
conducted by the center.
Our goal is to cooperate with as much governmental institution and educational units as
possible in order to ensure more effective fight against modern threats, create general/common
standards and means of implementation of these standards, increase the quality of
informationin this field to the society and provide our services to those who really needs it.

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This publication was downloaded from E-LIBRARY portal of

INFORMATION SECURITY STUDIES AND ANALYSIS CENTER

http://www.issac.ge

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