The abuse of digital technologies by violent extremists is keeping pace with the exponential
growth of new technologies, and poses multifaceted challenges to national and global security.
Cyber-enabled threats manifest for example in terrorist-operated websites, the shift to alternative
or fringe social media platforms, the use of the decentralised web, the exploitation of gaming
and adjacent platforms, and the abuse of live-streaming technologies to amplify terrorist and
violent extremist attacks. In addition to these online activities, there are concerns also around
more disruptive or destructive cyber operations, such as Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks
and the hacking of critical infrastructure to cause civilian casualties. In all the research on the
diverse range of malicious actors behind these threats, there is comparatively little on the online
activity of violent extremist movements, whether right-wing or left-wing, in the Global South.
This report forms part of UNICRI’s effort to investigate the threats stemming from the complex
interplay between terrorism, violent extremism and cybercriminality – threats that are often
overlooked, owing to the difficulty of gathering evidence and attributing offensive cyber operations, and to the prioritisation of more pressing security threats in diverse geographic locations.
UNICRI strives to shed light on the online presence, activities and trends of right- and left-wing
violent extremist movements and the cyber-enabled threats they may consequently pose to
global security. The report was compiled following a three-part research methodology consisting
of a literature review, expert interviews and open-source investigations conducted in order to
analyse the online activities of right- and left-wing violent extremist movements in South America,
Africa and Asia, and examining both their intent and ability to mount offensive cyber-attacks.
The report includes particular case studies within these regions, including in Brazil, South Africa,
India and Maritime South-East Asia. The case studies were selected because of the availability
of public information online, the known presence of active non-state violent extremist actors
with right- and left-wing ideologies, the similarities and differences these actors present, and
their geographic diversity. These factors, and consequently the choice of case studies, demonstrate the global nature of the phenomenon which still requires contextually relevant solutions.