MMORPGs training ground for terrorists?

Kevin Zuccato, head of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre, has claimed that “terrorists can gain training in games such as World of Warcraft in a simulated environment, using weapons that are identical to real-world armaments.”

This is following the bomb blast that hit ABC’s island in Second Life. It was, however, found out later on that the bombing was a computer server error and that plenty of other islands had the same problem. The media just liked the bomb angle. The idea of virtual terrorists might have pressed a panic button among the higher powers though.

An Australian publication recently claimed that there are indeed active terrorists in the Second Life universe, claiming that they use virtual environments as a training ground for real attacks.

There are […] weapons armouries in SL where people can get access to guns, including automatic weapons and AK47s. Searches of the SL website show there are three jihadi terrorists registered and two elite jihadist terrorist groups. […] Once these groups take up residence in SL, it is easy to start spreading propaganda, recruiting and instructing like minds on how to start terrorist cells and carry out jihad.

On the one hand, virtual training might be a possibility. The Wii is being considered right now for specialized training. On the other hand, raiding with battle axes and ominous tomes don’t exactly qualify as real-life training. (“I have a Tome and I’m not afraid to use it!”)

However, the article did suggest that terrorists can use virtual worlds to their advantage by simulating real life scenarios in Second Life. Though to actually do that online may be a step down for terrorists that are supposedly tech-savvy enough to create an exact replica of their target in a virtual environment.

Kevin Zuccato, head of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre, has claimed that “terrorists can gain training in games such as World of Warcraft in a simulated environment, using weapons that are identical to real-world armaments.”

This is following the bomb blast that hit ABC’s island in Second Life. It was, however, found out later on that the bombing was a computer server error and that plenty of other islands had the same problem. The media just liked the bomb angle. The idea of virtual terrorists might have pressed a panic button among the higher powers though.

An Australian publication recently claimed that there are indeed active terrorists in the Second Life universe, claiming that they use virtual environments as a training ground for real attacks.

There are […] weapons armouries in SL where people can get access to guns, including automatic weapons and AK47s. Searches of the SL website show there are three jihadi terrorists registered and two elite jihadist terrorist groups. […] Once these groups take up residence in SL, it is easy to start spreading propaganda, recruiting and instructing like minds on how to start terrorist cells and carry out jihad.

On the one hand, virtual training might be a possibility. The Wii is being considered right now for specialized training. On the other hand, raiding with battle axes and ominous tomes don’t exactly qualify as real-life training. (“I have a Tome and I’m not afraid to use it!”)

However, the article did suggest that terrorists can use virtual worlds to their advantage by simulating real life scenarios in Second Life. Though to actually do that online may be a step down for terrorists that are supposedly tech-savvy enough to create an exact replica of their target in a virtual environment.