Terrorism and global security: Cyber threats, governance, and counterterrorism strategies

This study examines the complex motivations behind terrorism and evaluates the effectiveness of international counterterrorism efforts using data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), World Values Survey (WVS), and World Bank Governance Indicators. Logistic regression and cluster analysis reveal that no socio-political factors—such as trust in government, religious values, or political ideology—significantly predict religiously motivated terrorism, though patterns emerge in political ideology and governance. Interrupted Time Series (ITS) and Difference-in-Differences (DiD) analyses indicate a post-9/11 surge in international counterterrorism collaborations, while domestic U.S. peace stability shows limited change. Panel data analysis highlights governance quality and economic stability as key factors in reducing terrorism, with economic stability emerging as the strongest predictor (p < 0.001). Based on these findings, the study recommends prioritizing governance reforms, integrating economic development into counterterrorism strategies, expanding efforts beyond military interventions, and strengthening intelligence-sharing mechanisms to enhance global counterterrorism effectiveness. Keywords: Cyber, Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Governance, Economic Stability, Global Peace Index, Data Privacy.