Innovating to Survive, a Look at How Extremists Adapt to Counterterrorism

Abstract This paper examines the under-studied area of innovation and terrorism. Beyond exploring the debate on the difference between creativity and innovation and how it impacts terrorist groups, the paper also reviews the typology of terrorist innovation and of the law of unintended consequences. The presence of terrorist groups in the online gaming world is an example of creativity and innovation as the groups recognize that counterterrorist policies have limited their ability to communicate with potential recruits. Consequently, extremists have had to find new avenues to communicate with supporters and attract potential recruits as they are determined to survive. Security agencies must also ensure that they are also thinking ‘outside the box’ as only through creativity can they stay one-step ahead of their adversaries.