Which of the following is NOT a common terrorist tactic (TTP)?

• A. Assassination
• B. Cyber warfare
• C. Hostage taking
• D. Environmental destruction

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that terrorist tactics (TTPs) are the techniques groups routinely use to achieve political or ideological goals. Historically, the most common TTPs involve direct, tangible harm in the physical world—things like assassinations, hostage-taking, and other violent acts that create immediate impact and media attention. Cyber warfare, while increasingly discussed and used by some actors, remains much less common as a standalone TTP for terrorist groups because it requires specialized technical capabilities, access to digital targets, and carries higher risks of attribution and discovery. In many cases, cyber operations are used for propaganda, fundraising, or information disruption rather than the kind of direct, high-visibility attacks that characterize traditional TTPs like assassination or hostage-taking. Environmental destruction does occur in some cases, but it is less routinely employed and often more specialized, whereas the other listed tactics represent more typical, readily executed methods. So cyber warfare stands out as not being as common a terrorist tactic as the others.