Terrorism and Organized Crime – 21st Century Threats to Critical Infrastructures. An Analysis of Motivations and Modus Operandi

Abstract

In today’s world, where globalization has led to the emergence of various state and non-state actors, including sub-national ones, with differing interests and motivations that often conflict with one another, the provision of essential services such as transportation, electricity, drinking water, medical and digital services, and others is of critical importance to contemporary society. About half a decade ago, when the critical infrastructures that provide these services were built, threats to them, such as terrorism, organized crime, asymmetrical or hybrid ones, were almost non-existent and not as much of a concern to the critical entities responsible for protecting them. The present research is intended to carry out an analysis of two threats to critical infrastructures – terrorism and organized crime, with the aim of identifying their typology, the effects they produce, the method of operation employed by the non-state actors that conduct such activities. The article’s findings have demonstrated that ideological, political, and religious motivations of terrorist organizations, as well as the financial motivations of organized crime hold special significance as they yield effects in the modus operandi of these entities and also shape the response of law enforcement authorities.