CYBERTERRORISM AS A THREAT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES, INTERNATIONAL LEGAL REGULATION, AND COUNTERTERRORISM PERSPECTIVES

A comprehensive analysis of cyber terrorism as one of the most dynamic and significant threats to contemporary national and international security has been provided in the article. The evolution of scholarly approaches to defining cyber terrorism, identifies its essential characteristics, and distinguishes it from related phenomena such as cybercrime, cyber espionage, cyber warfare, and hacktivism has been examined. It has been argued in the study that cyber terrorism should be understood not merely as a technological or criminal issue but as a multidimensional political phenomenon capable of undermining state institutions, critical infrastructure, economic stability, and democratic governance. The principal actors involved in cyber terrorist activities, including state and non-state actors, organized criminal groups, terrorist organizations, proxy entities, and hacker communities have been investigated in the article. Particular attention has been devoted to the transformation of cyberspace into a distinct domain of hybrid conflict, in which cyber operations are increasingly combined with information and psychological campaigns, economic coercion, and conventional military activities. Drawing upon an analysis of major cyber incidents, including Stuxnet, WannaCry, NotPetya, and cyber attacks targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure, the study assesses their impact on the evolution of international cyber security and the development of new approaches to strengthening digital resilience. Special emphasis has been placed on the international legal regulation of cyber terrorism. The regulatory frameworks developed by the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and NATO, identifying both their achievements and existing limitations has been examined in the article. It has been argued that the fragmented nature of the current international legal regime, the persistent challenges of cyber attribution, and the absence of a universally accepted definition of cyberterrorism continue to impede the establishment of an effective global cybersecurity architecture. The growing role of artificial intelligence in cyber security has been explored in the study. It has been demonstrated that AI technologies significantly improve threat detection, predictive analytics, and cyber defense capabilities while simultaneously creating new opportunities for sophisticated cyberattacks, automated information operations, and malicious digital manipulation. It has been concluded in the article that effective counterterrorism policy requires a comprehensive governance framework integrating legal regulation, institutional coordination, technological innovation, and international cooperation. Such an approach is essential for strengthening national resilience and ensuring sustainable protection against the evolving challenges posed by cyber terrorism in the digital era.