It's been a while since I've last blogged about Cyberterrorism, and while many did mentioned the topic in between the recent DRDoS attacks, Cyberterrorism is so much more than simply shutting down the Internet, namely the ability to communicate, research, recruit and use propaganda to achieve goals based on ideological beliefs, or the convergence of Terrorism and the Internet.
Can we argue that cyberterrorism is the direct effect of techno imperialism, or let's use a more friendly word such as IT-dependent society and information infrastructure?
What exactly does cyberterrorism mean? When does an average internet user's malicious activity turns into cyberterrorism ones? Are there clear definitions, or the lack of such as resulting in the in a total misunderstanding for both, the media and the general public. The recently released Google Trends, which I covered in a previous post, doesn't even count Cyberterrorism, so I looked further and came across to a very good research "Fear-mongering or fact: The construction of ‘cyber-terrorism’ in U.S., U.K, and Canadian news media" that aims to emphasize on the common misunderstanding when defining Cyberterrorism and the media's acceptance of the concept. The outcome? Declining media presence with the years, to end up where it is today, but what you should keep in mind is that the concept is still out there.
Trying to seperate Cyberterrorism as a tool for achieving Information Warfare dominance is like on purposely ignoring the the big picture -- that Cyberterrorism, one that sometimes results out of hacktivism tensions is a powerful tool for achieving the full effect of information warfare. Whereas such attacks occur all the time, I can argue that the actual impact of cyberterrorism cannot be easily and quantitatively justified. We all know that it's theoretically logical for terrorists to use the Internet for various cyberplanning and cyber communication, what can we do about it?
Crawling for terrorist web sites clearly associated with different organizations, or trying to spot terrorist symphatizers have been in the execution stage for yers. Projects such as the Terrorism Knowledge Discovery Project, take a very deep look into the subject by introducing Terrorism Knowledge Portal, an aggregated source for intelligence. Moreover, according to a recent article :
"SAIC has a $US7 million Defence Department contract to monitor 1500 militant websites that provide al Qaeda and other militant organisations with a main venue for communications, fund-raising, recruitment and training." It's also interesting to note other initiatives that started back in 2001, such as the Automatic Identification of Extremist Internet Web Sites.
Another concept goes in-depth into Confronting Cyberterrorism with Cyber Deception as "if it is possible to deceive terrorists, then it should also be possible to deceive cyberterrorists. The reliance of cyberterrorists on information technology makes them vulnerable to cyber deceptions. In addition, many of the methods and tools that cyberterrorists would use are similar to those used by other less malicious hackers, so we can plan specific deceptions to use against them in advance." As you can see on the grid above, the actors, the deception target and the level of difficulty provide more insight into the idea, great research!
Steganography embedded images used by terrorists on the public web can be doubtful, but on the Dark Web, why not? According to a research I came across to some time ago :
"In academia, graduate students Niel Provos and Richard Honeyman at the University of Michigan have written a web crawling program to detect steganographic images in the wild. The program has already digested 2 billion JPEG’s on popular sights such as ebay and has so far found only one stego-image in the wild. The detected image was on an ABC web page that dealt with the topic of steganography."
Detecting Steganographic Content on the Internet as a concept has been around for ages, while plain old encryption is the de-facto practice according to a well researched news article :
• Wadih El Hage, one of the suspects in the 1998 bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa, sent encrypted e-mails under various names, including "Norman" and "Abdus Sabbur," to "associates in al Qaida," according to the Oct. 25, 1998, U.S. indictment against him. Hage went on trial Monday in federal court in New York.
• Khalil Deek, an alleged terrorist arrested in Pakistan in 1999, used encrypted computer files to plot bombings in Jordan at the turn of the millennium, U.S. officials say. Authorities found Deek's computer at his Peshawar, Pakistan, home and flew it to the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Md. Mathematicians, using supercomputers, decoded the files, enabling the FBI to foil the plot.
• Ramzi Yousef, the convicted mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, used encrypted files to hide details of a plot to destroy 11 U.S. airliners. Philippines officials found the computer in Yousef's Manila apartment in 1995. U.S. officials broke the encryption and foiled the plot. Two of the files, FBI officials say, took more than a year to decrypt.
Among the many cases I am aware of worth mentioning are :
- What are the real risks of cyberterrorism? In 1998, a 12-year-old hacker broke into the computer system that controlled the floodgates of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam in Arizona, according to a June Washington Post report. If the gates had been opened, the article added, walls of water could have flooded the cities of Tempe and Mesa, whose populations total nearly 1 million.
- Cyberterrorism: How Real Is the Threat? Yonah Alexander, a terrorism researcher at the Potomac Institute—a think tank with close links to the Pentagon—announced in December 2001, the existence of an “Iraq Net.” This network supposedly consisted of more than one hundred websites set up across the world by Iraq since the mid-1990s to launch denial-of-service or DoS attacks against U.S. companies. The concept of botnets wasn't that popular at the time, so that's an example of marginal thinking on acquiring DoS power.
- In the indictment against Zacharias Moussaoui, it states that Moussaoui had among his possessions a flight simulator program, software for reviewing pilot procedures for a Boeing 747 Model 400, and a computer disk of information on aerial spraying of pesticides. The indictment also outlines Moussaoui’s use of e-mail to inquire about flight training.
- For almost two years, intelligence services around the world tried to uncover the identity of an Internet hacker who had become a key conduit for al-Qaeda. The savvy, English-speaking, presumably young webmaster taunted his pursuers, calling himself Irhabi -- Terrorist -- 007. He hacked into American university computers, propagandized for the Iraq insurgents led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and taught other online jihadists how to wield their computers for the cause.
I can argue which article is more intriguing compared to BusinesWeek's writeup on catching the ShadowCrew, but anyway all you need to a get a reader's attention is a name such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a point that I feel is totally brainwashed in this paragraph :)
Cyberterrorism is an inseparable part of Information Warfare, and while we would hopefully never witness a catastrophic scenario, that is offensive use of Cyberterrorism, recruitment and propaganda flood the Internet on a daily basis. Just stop being suspicious about everyone, and try to enjoy life in between, can you, as terrorists are not everywhere -- but where we see them at the bottom line!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Techno Imperialism and the Effect of Cyberterrorism
Independent Security Consultancy, Threat Intelligence Analysis (OSINT/Cyber Counter Intelligence) and Competitive Intelligence research on demand. Insightful, unbiased, and client-tailored assessments, neatly communicated in the form of interactive reports - because anticipating the emerging threatscape is what shapes the big picture at the end of the day. Approach me at dancho.danchev@hush.com
Insider Competition in the Defense Industry
While there aren't any smoking emails mentioned in this case, where else can we spot insiders if not in the defense industry, an industry where securing government-backed contracts, or teasing military decion makers with the latest technologies ensures the long-term existence of the business itself? From the article :
"Boeing has been under investigation for improperly acquiring thousands of pages of rival Lockheed Martin's proprietary documents in the late 1990s, using some of them to help win a competition for government rocket-launching business. The government stripped Boeing of about $1 billion worth of rocket launches for its improper use of the Lockheed documents."
Boeing and Lockheed Martin remain the key players in the defense industry, ensuring their portfolio of services (cyberwarfare, theater warfare, grid networking compatibility etc.) remain competitive. I once said that during the Cold War, the tensions between the U.S and the Soviet Union used to be the driving force of progress and innovation, these days, terrorism is the driving force and the "excuse" for military and intelligence spending. And while NASA's budget has been decreasing with the time, the next major space innovation wouldn't come from NASA, but from the commercial sector.
What's the bottom line? A minor short-term effect, and long-term business continuity for sure as "Boeing shares fell $1.76, or 2 percent, to $85.25 in morning trading on the New York Stock Excange."
"Boeing has been under investigation for improperly acquiring thousands of pages of rival Lockheed Martin's proprietary documents in the late 1990s, using some of them to help win a competition for government rocket-launching business. The government stripped Boeing of about $1 billion worth of rocket launches for its improper use of the Lockheed documents."
Boeing and Lockheed Martin remain the key players in the defense industry, ensuring their portfolio of services (cyberwarfare, theater warfare, grid networking compatibility etc.) remain competitive. I once said that during the Cold War, the tensions between the U.S and the Soviet Union used to be the driving force of progress and innovation, these days, terrorism is the driving force and the "excuse" for military and intelligence spending. And while NASA's budget has been decreasing with the time, the next major space innovation wouldn't come from NASA, but from the commercial sector.
What's the bottom line? A minor short-term effect, and long-term business continuity for sure as "Boeing shares fell $1.76, or 2 percent, to $85.25 in morning trading on the New York Stock Excange."
Independent Security Consultancy, Threat Intelligence Analysis (OSINT/Cyber Counter Intelligence) and Competitive Intelligence research on demand. Insightful, unbiased, and client-tailored assessments, neatly communicated in the form of interactive reports - because anticipating the emerging threatscape is what shapes the big picture at the end of the day. Approach me at dancho.danchev@hush.com
EMP Attacks - Electronic Domination in Reverse
Yesterday, I came across to an updated(April 14, 2006) CRS report - High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments, a topic I covered in a previous post related to asymmetric warfare.
Basically, it outlines critical issues such as, what is the U.S(or pretty much any other country thinking asymmetric warfare) doing to ensure critical civil infrastructure is protected against EMP attacks, how does the vulnerability of EMP attacks encourage other nations to develop such capabilities, and yes, of course the "threat" of terrorist EMP warfare -- in your wildest dreams only. An excerpt :
"However, other analysts maintain that some testing done by the U.S. military may have been flawed, or incomplete, leading to faulty conclusions about the level of resistance of commercial equipment to the effects of EMP. These analysts point out that EMP technology has been explored by several other nations, and as circuitry becomes more miniaturized, modern electronics become increasingly vulnerable to disruption. They argue that it could possibly take years for the United States to recover fully from widespread damage to electronics resulting from a large-scale EMP attack."
Why wouldn't a "reported sponsor of terrorist" nations wage EMP warfare, or even try to over the U.S? Because they would have the U.S in their backyard in less than a day, but the opportunity to balance the powers, or achieve temporary military advantage given the attack remains undetected is a tempting factor for future developments -- the ongoing miniaturization and the fact that intense energy effects can be can be produced without an A-Bomb makes it even worse. Surgical HPM and EMP attacks without fear of retaliation is what possible adversaries could be aiming at, and of course portability :
"Other HPM weapons being tested by the military are portable and re-usable through battery-power, and are effective when fired miles away from a target. These weapons can also be focused like a laser beam and tuned to an appropriate frequency in order to penetrate electronics that are heavily shielded against a nuclear attack. The deepest bunkers with the thickest concrete walls reportedly are not safe from such a beam if they have even a single unprotected wire reaching the surface."
Yesterday I was looking for an article I wrote in 1998 on Nuclear Weapons and seem to have found it -- it makes me smile given my age, and the fact that I had to orally defend the topic, hope you will find it an interesting retro read :) I don't necessarily agree with all the things, it just the way I was perceiving the world back than. For instance, Russia didn't accelerate their scientific efforts, as the A-bomb secret eventually leaked out to them, and with the fall of the Soviet Union and ICBMs available in every corner of the country and its republics, it wasn't hard for other nations to piggyback too.
Did you know that Stalin was aware of the U.S's A-bomb, even before Harry Truman was? -- the consequence of too much secrecy sometimes!
Nuclear Weapons
There has always been war, and will always be though we live in more peaceful world nowadays. It's a long time that nuclear weapons are not the same threat to the world's peace as they were years ago. Despite all the reducement and limitation of nuclear weapons they haven't disappeared yet completely. Today all the nuclear arsenals are able to kill everybody on EARTH, a thousand times, though nobody wants to die even once. One of the greatest scientific and human's achievements - mastering the nuclear energy, is in position both to change the traditional sources of energy, and to move toward the social progress. However, this discovery was used not in people's behalf, but against it.
During Truman's leadership nuclear scientists were working on the project"MANHATTAN" as they were to finish mastering the nuclear energy, but they didn't know that their discovery would change completely the world to worse, demanding death to million people. Americans have always been competing with Russians in each sphere. When Americans discovered the A-BOMB Russians were far from it. Then Truman decided to drive Russia into a corner. But he didn't have the chance, due to Stalin who ostensibly didn't pay attention to the threat. To show his power Truman threw the A-BOMB on Hiroshima on 6 of August at 8 :00 am. It generated a huge amoung of energy when it exploded. Most people died within a few hours. By the end 0f 1945 the estimated number of peole who died as a direct result of the bomb was 140,000. But later it has been concluded that the number of people who died was approximately 200,000, even more. Russia decided that it could't last so long and accelerated the speed of doing their project for the A-BOMB several times. Only for 4 years they worked it out which the Americans succeeded for 20. As Russia's A-BOMB appeared the United State's plans for starting a war and attack Russia made them think.
All their plans went wrong. When the U.S controlled the weapons of mass destruction their strategists used to think about the harmful power of the weapons. Now, the U.S have completely changed their policy line. When a conflict arise anywhere in world they would help. When a disaster damages a country, when a war starts they always stand by the side of the weaker. They mastered outer space and they don't do it just for themselves but for the whole mankind. Now all the people in world develop good relationships. But we live in a troubled world. Our daily cares are increasingly dwarfed by the thought that they may vanish in a flash. People separated by continents and oceans are uneted in their wish to prevent the global nuclear catastrophe. Young people today do not wish war they want peace and love. It's not just a wish, it's a must!
This is eight years ago, and I'm still keeping the spirit I guess :)
Basically, it outlines critical issues such as, what is the U.S(or pretty much any other country thinking asymmetric warfare) doing to ensure critical civil infrastructure is protected against EMP attacks, how does the vulnerability of EMP attacks encourage other nations to develop such capabilities, and yes, of course the "threat" of terrorist EMP warfare -- in your wildest dreams only. An excerpt :
"However, other analysts maintain that some testing done by the U.S. military may have been flawed, or incomplete, leading to faulty conclusions about the level of resistance of commercial equipment to the effects of EMP. These analysts point out that EMP technology has been explored by several other nations, and as circuitry becomes more miniaturized, modern electronics become increasingly vulnerable to disruption. They argue that it could possibly take years for the United States to recover fully from widespread damage to electronics resulting from a large-scale EMP attack."
Why wouldn't a "reported sponsor of terrorist" nations wage EMP warfare, or even try to over the U.S? Because they would have the U.S in their backyard in less than a day, but the opportunity to balance the powers, or achieve temporary military advantage given the attack remains undetected is a tempting factor for future developments -- the ongoing miniaturization and the fact that intense energy effects can be can be produced without an A-Bomb makes it even worse. Surgical HPM and EMP attacks without fear of retaliation is what possible adversaries could be aiming at, and of course portability :
"Other HPM weapons being tested by the military are portable and re-usable through battery-power, and are effective when fired miles away from a target. These weapons can also be focused like a laser beam and tuned to an appropriate frequency in order to penetrate electronics that are heavily shielded against a nuclear attack. The deepest bunkers with the thickest concrete walls reportedly are not safe from such a beam if they have even a single unprotected wire reaching the surface."
Yesterday I was looking for an article I wrote in 1998 on Nuclear Weapons and seem to have found it -- it makes me smile given my age, and the fact that I had to orally defend the topic, hope you will find it an interesting retro read :) I don't necessarily agree with all the things, it just the way I was perceiving the world back than. For instance, Russia didn't accelerate their scientific efforts, as the A-bomb secret eventually leaked out to them, and with the fall of the Soviet Union and ICBMs available in every corner of the country and its republics, it wasn't hard for other nations to piggyback too.
Did you know that Stalin was aware of the U.S's A-bomb, even before Harry Truman was? -- the consequence of too much secrecy sometimes!
Nuclear Weapons
There has always been war, and will always be though we live in more peaceful world nowadays. It's a long time that nuclear weapons are not the same threat to the world's peace as they were years ago. Despite all the reducement and limitation of nuclear weapons they haven't disappeared yet completely. Today all the nuclear arsenals are able to kill everybody on EARTH, a thousand times, though nobody wants to die even once. One of the greatest scientific and human's achievements - mastering the nuclear energy, is in position both to change the traditional sources of energy, and to move toward the social progress. However, this discovery was used not in people's behalf, but against it.
During Truman's leadership nuclear scientists were working on the project"MANHATTAN" as they were to finish mastering the nuclear energy, but they didn't know that their discovery would change completely the world to worse, demanding death to million people. Americans have always been competing with Russians in each sphere. When Americans discovered the A-BOMB Russians were far from it. Then Truman decided to drive Russia into a corner. But he didn't have the chance, due to Stalin who ostensibly didn't pay attention to the threat. To show his power Truman threw the A-BOMB on Hiroshima on 6 of August at 8 :00 am. It generated a huge amoung of energy when it exploded. Most people died within a few hours. By the end 0f 1945 the estimated number of peole who died as a direct result of the bomb was 140,000. But later it has been concluded that the number of people who died was approximately 200,000, even more. Russia decided that it could't last so long and accelerated the speed of doing their project for the A-BOMB several times. Only for 4 years they worked it out which the Americans succeeded for 20. As Russia's A-BOMB appeared the United State's plans for starting a war and attack Russia made them think.
All their plans went wrong. When the U.S controlled the weapons of mass destruction their strategists used to think about the harmful power of the weapons. Now, the U.S have completely changed their policy line. When a conflict arise anywhere in world they would help. When a disaster damages a country, when a war starts they always stand by the side of the weaker. They mastered outer space and they don't do it just for themselves but for the whole mankind. Now all the people in world develop good relationships. But we live in a troubled world. Our daily cares are increasingly dwarfed by the thought that they may vanish in a flash. People separated by continents and oceans are uneted in their wish to prevent the global nuclear catastrophe. Young people today do not wish war they want peace and love. It's not just a wish, it's a must!
This is eight years ago, and I'm still keeping the spirit I guess :)
Independent Security Consultancy, Threat Intelligence Analysis (OSINT/Cyber Counter Intelligence) and Competitive Intelligence research on demand. Insightful, unbiased, and client-tailored assessments, neatly communicated in the form of interactive reports - because anticipating the emerging threatscape is what shapes the big picture at the end of the day. Approach me at dancho.danchev@hush.com
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