There is a growing body of literature that recognises the importance of counter-terrorism
and security, especially after the events of 9/11. Studies of terrorism and critical
infrastructure protection agree on the essential nature of financial services and
mention many cases when banks were attacked. However, the threat of terrorism to the
banking industry received scant attention. This is the first study set out to investigate
the terrorist attacks against banks in Europe since 2001. Research data were collected
from the Global Terrorism Database.The aim of this quantitative research is to i)
examine the terrorist attacks against European banks over the last two decades, ii)
identify trends and patterns, and iii) provide some recommendations to increase the
level of resilience.Our findings and recommendations can bring important contributions
to the field of counter-terrorism and security. The study may hold relevance for researchers,
operators of essential services, law enforcement agencies and policy-makers.