Difference between revisions of "Britam Defence Ltd"
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| − | + | {{group | |
| + | |type=commercial | ||
| + | |website=http://www.britamdefence.com | ||
| + | |logo= | ||
| + | |description=A "risk management and training consultancy" that was the subject of a high profile 2013 data leak. | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | ==Official narrative== | ||
| + | The former chairman of Britam Defence Ltd, General Sir [[Michael Wilkes]] KCB CBE, informs visitors to its homepage that "In just ten years, Britam has become one of the world’s leading risk management and training consultancies."<ref name="britam">[http://www.britamdefence.com/home.html Britam homepage]</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The 2014 Britam website informs visitors that the group "is a broad-ranging risk management and training consultancy. We provide advice, services and training that enable organisations to pursue their activities while managing their strategic and operational risks. We work with commercial and governmental organisations, providing services in three key areas: | ||
| + | * Corporate security services | ||
| + | * Police and Military Training | ||
| + | * Health and safety. | ||
| + | Our management team has a background in [[UK Special Forces]]. This ethos defines our culture. We challenge the status quo, while ensuring our solutions are practical, affordable and delivered to the highest standards of service and conduct. Operationally, we combine our experience and expertise in [[counter-terrorism]], [[insurgency]] and other public security situations with keen commercial awareness and discretion."<ref name="britam2014">http://www.britamdefence.com/about.html</ref> | ||
== 2013 Document Leak == | == 2013 Document Leak == | ||
| − | + | On 24th January 2013, <ref name="cwn">[http://www.cyberwarnews.info/2013/01/24/britam-defence-hacked-confidential-documents-leaked-site-offline/?show=slide Cyberwarnews original story]</ref> published reported that a hacker by the name of "JAsIrX" had uploaded 423MB of information to various file sharing websites. Their authenticity is debated, though critical emails are generally considered to be forged. | |
| − | On 24th January 2013, <ref name="cwn">[http://www.cyberwarnews.info/2013/01/24/britam-defence-hacked-confidential-documents-leaked-site-offline/?show=slide Cyberwarnews original story]</ref> published reported that a hacker by the name of "JAsIrX" had uploaded 423MB of information to various file sharing websites. | ||
=== Cover note === | === Cover note === | ||
| Line 26: | Line 38: | ||
Thank all | Thank all | ||
| − | === | + | ===Critical Emails=== |
| − | The | + | |
| + | The most incriminating document was an emails, "Syrian Issue.eml", Email purporting to have been from David Goulding, the Business Development Director to company founder, Philip Doughty: | ||
"We've got a new offer. It's about Syria again. Qataris propose an attractive deal and swear that the idea is approved by Washington. We'll have to deliver a CW to Homs, a Soviet origin g-shell from Libya similar to those that Assad should have. They want us to deploy our Ukrainian personnel that should speak Russian and make a video record. Frankly, I don't think it's a good idea but the sums proposed are enormous. Your opinion? | "We've got a new offer. It's about Syria again. Qataris propose an attractive deal and swear that the idea is approved by Washington. We'll have to deliver a CW to Homs, a Soviet origin g-shell from Libya similar to those that Assad should have. They want us to deploy our Ukrainian personnel that should speak Russian and make a video record. Frankly, I don't think it's a good idea but the sums proposed are enormous. Your opinion? | ||
| − | Kind regards David" | + | Kind regards David" |
| + | |||
| + | === Accompanying documents === | ||
| + | They included a range of files such as a copies of contracts with signatures, private emails and personnel data such as a passport scan and incident reports, which are generally thought to be genuine. | ||
=== Daily Mail Reporting and Libel Action === | === Daily Mail Reporting and Libel Action === | ||
| Line 38: | Line 54: | ||
On 18th April 2013, the Daily Mail published a story entitled "Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty" which stated that "we now accept that email was fabricated". No comment was made about the authenticity of the other documents.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/article-2311199/Britam-Defence-David-Goulding-Philip-Doughty.html Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty] - Dail Mail's retraction</ref> Press Gazette reported on 26 June 2013 that the Daily Mail paid £110,000 plus costs as a libel payout to Britam Defence. <ref name="PressGazette">http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/daily-mail-%C2%A3110k-libel-payout-over-syrian-chemical-weapons-story</ref> | On 18th April 2013, the Daily Mail published a story entitled "Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty" which stated that "we now accept that email was fabricated". No comment was made about the authenticity of the other documents.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/article-2311199/Britam-Defence-David-Goulding-Philip-Doughty.html Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty] - Dail Mail's retraction</ref> Press Gazette reported on 26 June 2013 that the Daily Mail paid £110,000 plus costs as a libel payout to Britam Defence. <ref name="PressGazette">http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/daily-mail-%C2%A3110k-libel-payout-over-syrian-chemical-weapons-story</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Authenticity=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Comparison of the Email headers of the two emails leaked as .eml files reveals that although sent 69 days apart, they were both sent at precisely 23:57:18. Furthermore, one had the sent date as <code>Thu, 16 Oct 2012 23:57:18</code> - but the 16th of October 2012 was a Tuesday. This is the strongest evidence that the headers had been hand tampered with and that the contents should be viewed as highly advanced forgeries. The motive, and the identity of the perpetrator(s) remains unclear.<ref>http://stormcloudsgathering.com/are-the-leaked-britam-defence-emails-fake</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{SMWDocs}} | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[category:Syria]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:25, 20 August 2014
 Britam Defence Ltd    | |
|---|---|
| Type | commercial |
| Member of | Defence Manufacturers Association |
| A "risk management and training consultancy" that was the subject of a high profile 2013 data leak. | |
Contents
Official narrative
The former chairman of Britam Defence Ltd, General Sir Michael Wilkes KCB CBE, informs visitors to its homepage that "In just ten years, Britam has become one of the world’s leading risk management and training consultancies."[1]
The 2014 Britam website informs visitors that the group "is a broad-ranging risk management and training consultancy. We provide advice, services and training that enable organisations to pursue their activities while managing their strategic and operational risks. We work with commercial and governmental organisations, providing services in three key areas:
- Corporate security services
- Police and Military Training
- Health and safety.
Our management team has a background in UK Special Forces. This ethos defines our culture. We challenge the status quo, while ensuring our solutions are practical, affordable and delivered to the highest standards of service and conduct. Operationally, we combine our experience and expertise in counter-terrorism, insurgency and other public security situations with keen commercial awareness and discretion."[2]
2013 Document Leak
On 24th January 2013, [3] published reported that a hacker by the name of "JAsIrX" had uploaded 423MB of information to various file sharing websites. Their authenticity is debated, though critical emails are generally considered to be forged.
Cover note
The files were accompanied by a cover note which read as follows:
"Hello,
I'm JAsIrX and I will share with you some documents downloaded after hacking Britam Defence server. Its website is located on the Malaysian server. I found bugs in the website with same ip and uploaded web-shell through this site. Then I hacked plesk parallels control panel and gained access to Britam Defence mail accounts and website directory.
Leaked documents: - Contracts copies with signatures - Private email correspondence - Personnel data, etc.
Britam Defence is British private military company, operates mainly in the Middle East. It killed Arabs in Iraq and plans to invade in Iran and Syria. Look through leaked documents carefully. CW means chemical weapon, g-shell is short for a gas shell I guess.
Help to distribute this info and let other people know about the threats. Thank all
Critical Emails
The most incriminating document was an emails, "Syrian Issue.eml", Email purporting to have been from David Goulding, the Business Development Director to company founder, Philip Doughty:
"We've got a new offer. It's about Syria again. Qataris propose an attractive deal and swear that the idea is approved by Washington. We'll have to deliver a CW to Homs, a Soviet origin g-shell from Libya similar to those that Assad should have. They want us to deploy our Ukrainian personnel that should speak Russian and make a video record. Frankly, I don't think it's a good idea but the sums proposed are enormous. Your opinion?
Kind regards David"
Accompanying documents
They included a range of files such as a copies of contracts with signatures, private emails and personnel data such as a passport scan and incident reports, which are generally thought to be genuine.
Daily Mail Reporting and Libel Action
On 29th January 2013, the Daily Mail published a story entitled "U.S. 'backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime'". This was removed on 31st January without explanation. [4]
On 18th April 2013, the Daily Mail published a story entitled "Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty" which stated that "we now accept that email was fabricated". No comment was made about the authenticity of the other documents.[5] Press Gazette reported on 26 June 2013 that the Daily Mail paid £110,000 plus costs as a libel payout to Britam Defence. [6]
Authenticity
Comparison of the Email headers of the two emails leaked as .eml files reveals that although sent 69 days apart, they were both sent at precisely 23:57:18. Furthermore, one had the sent date as Thu, 16 Oct 2012 23:57:18 - but the 16th of October 2012 was a Tuesday. This is the strongest evidence that the headers had been hand tampered with and that the contents should be viewed as highly advanced forgeries. The motive, and the identity of the perpetrator(s) remains unclear.[7]
Employee on Wikispooks
| Employee | Job | End |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Wilkes | Chairman | 2013 |
References
- ↑ Britam homepage
- ↑ http://www.britamdefence.com/about.html
- ↑ Cyberwarnews original story
- ↑ U.S. 'backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad's regime' - Original Daily Mail story
- ↑ Britam Defence, David Goulding and Philip Doughty - Dail Mail's retraction
- ↑ http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/daily-mail-%C2%A3110k-libel-payout-over-syrian-chemical-weapons-story
- ↑ http://stormcloudsgathering.com/are-the-leaked-britam-defence-emails-fake
