TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST THE EUROPEAN BANKING INDUSTRY SINCE 2001

There is a growing body of literature that recognises the importance of counter-terrorism and security, especially after the events of 9/11. Studies of terrorism and critical infrastructure protection agree on the essential nature of financial services and mention many cases when banks were attacked. However, the threat of terrorism to the banking industry received scant attention. This is the first study set out to investigate the terrorist attacks against banks in Europe since 2001. Research data were collected from the Global Terrorism Database.The aim of this quantitative research is to i) examine the terrorist attacks against European banks over the last two decades, ii) identify trends and patterns, and iii) provide some recommendations to increase the level of resilience.Our findings and recommendations can bring important contributions to the field of counter-terrorism and security. The study may hold relevance for researchers, operators of essential services, law enforcement agencies and policy-makers.