The Legal Nature of Cyberterrorism and Its Relationship with the Corpora Delicti of Overlapping Offences in the Criminal Law of the Russian Federation

Introduction. In recent years, cyberterrorism has become one of the main challenges to the national security of the Russian Federation, as it allows promotion of terrorist ideology, preparation of terrorist attacks, and recruitment of terrorists without much effort and financial investment, i.e. makes it possible to commit terrorist crimes in cyberspace without fear to be discovered. Amid the backdrop of computerization rate acceleration, internationalization of information networks, and digital economy turnover growth, the problem of ensuring cybersecurity has become particularly relevant. The aim of the present study is to investigate the legal nature of cyberterrorism as a specific form of terrorist activity and to identify its relationship with the corpora delicti of overlapping offences in the criminal law of the Russian Federation.
Materials and Methods. The study was conducted based on the acting norms of the criminal law of the Russian Federation, reports of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, data on the judicial cases, and scientific publications. The dialectical method of cognition was used as the primary one, and was supplemented by the comparative, dogmatic, and system analysis methods, as well as by the general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, and induction.
Results. Legal regulation of terrorist crimes committed in cyberspace has been analysed. Cyberterrorism was studied from perspective of it being an objective consequence of the processes of information globalisation and emergence of computer networks. The statement about cyberterrorism posing a threat to the national security of the Russian Federation has been substantiated, which is confirmed by the rapid growth of the terrorist crimes committed using the information technology and significant damage caused by them to the critical infrastructure of the state.
Discussion and Conclusion. The conducted research supplements and expands the scientific understanding of the nature of cyberterrorism as a potential threat to the national security of the Russian Federation. The findings obtained may serve a basis for further scientific research in this field

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