"Cyberterrorism"
"Cyberterrorism" (“terrorism”) | |
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Interest of | • Bilderberg/2019 • Carnegie Cyber Policy Initiative • Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center • Europol • Matthijs Veenendaal |
Subpage(s) | •Cyberterrorism/Preparation |
The use of computers by "terrorists" to cause disruption. This is an arena in which the determination of responsibility is particularly difficult, and therefore false flag attacks arethat much more easy. |
Cyberterrorism, like "terrorism", is a rather loosely defined term which has been criticised by authoritative computer security specialists[1]. It is generally invoked by the commercially-controlled media, often rather implausibly, to suggest that unless governments have strict control over the internet, bad things will happen. The intelligence agencies of US and Israel are generally reckoned to have the greatest expertise in this area. Attribution of such attacks is notoriously difficult and predicted to get even harder,[2] meaning False Flags are a difficult to detect.[3]
Contents
Internet use
The internet, and especially the World Wide Web, has been unprecedentedly successful at allowing free exchange of information. As such, it is seen as a threat by those who have dark secrets to keep. Particularly after the Snowden Affair, the NSA is recognised as possessing the world's most technologically advanced mass surveillance capabilities.
In 2016, the US Department of Homeland Security requested $1 million to develop a public-service campaign designed to increase awareness of online threats. The new initiative will be modeled on the “If You See Something, Say Something” effort rolled out after the Sept. 11 attacks and “will look to raise public and private sector awareness of cybersecurity and to emphasize the importance of cyber awareness and information safekeeping.”[4]
By "Terrorists"
Increasingly, the threat of internet use by "terrorists" is mooted as justification for internet censorship. In 2014, the head of counter-terrorism at Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner, Mark Rowley stated "There are some different dynamics today, where we have an increasing number of people who weren't previously on the "terrorism" radar being attracted by an ideology they see on social media". He also claimed that counter-terrorism officers were removing more than 1000 online postings a week.[5] After the November 2015 Paris attacks a proposal was made (and rejected) to ban public WiFi networks.
By Intelligence agencies
Although precise information is lacking, intelligence agencies appear to be the most skilled creators of malware, notably the NSA and the Mossad. The USA has been reported as creating Stuxnet[6] of such complexity, combining so many different techniques, that it was immediately suspected to have been government sponsored. Since Stuxnet (2010), related malware has been detected including Duqu (2011) and Regin (November 2014).
JTRIG uses computer viruses to make people's computers unusable, including encrypting of deleting files or emails.[7][8] According to documents released to NBC News by Edward Snowden, JTRIG's role is to "deny, disrupt, degrade and deceive". As well a spreading of viruses, this also includes use of DDOS attacks on chatrooms.[9]
DDOS Attacks
Various DDOS attacks have been launched against the internet's 13 root name servers (on 30 November 2015, 6 February 2007, and 21 October 2002). Their scale and duration (the 30 November 2015 attack lasted 48 hours) prompted the suggestion that "only a government could have this much clout."[10]
Promotion of fear
Fear of cyberterrorism is stoked by films as the 2013 "docu-drama" American Blackout, which IMDB introduces with the hyperbole that "Hacking into urban infrastructures isn't science fiction anymore - it's in the news every day." The film is a work of fiction; its only claim of 'documentaryhood' would appear to occasional real quotes, such as one by Richard Andres with which it begins:
“A massive and well-coordinated cyber attack on the electric grid could devastate the economy and cause a large-scale loss of life.”
Richard Andres [11]
Geographic location
In September 2014 Bloomberg reported on a honeypot that two researchers established to investigate the sources of cyberterrorism. They reported that most cyberattacks on it were from US, followed by China, Russia and Netherlands in that order.[12]
An example
Page name | Description |
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Denial-of-service attack | An attack that makes a large number of (bogus) requests on a server, intended to exceed its capacity so as to deny valid requests from other users. |
Related Quotations
Page | Quote | Author | Date |
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Corporate media/Mendacity | “More and more we are seeing narratives about cyber-threats being used to advance reports of “attacks” and “acts of war” being perpetrated which, as far as the public is concerned, consist of nothing other than the authoritative assertions of confident-sounding media pundits. There was a recent NBC exclusive which was co-authored by Ken Dilanian, who is an actual, literal CIA asset, about the threat of hackers working for the Iranian government. The alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US elections is now routinely compared to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, despite no hard, verifiable evidence that that interference even took place ever being presented to the public.” | Caitlin Johnstone | 11 August 2018 |
"Philip Cross" | “My view is that Philip Cross probably is a real person, but that he fronts for a group acting under his name. It is undeniably true, in fact the government has boasted, that both the MOD and GCHQ have “cyber-war” ops aiming to defend the “official narrative" against alternative news media, and that is precisely the purpose of the “Philip Cross” operation on Wikipedia. The extreme regularity of output argues against “Philip Cross” being either a one man or volunteer operation. I do not rule out however the possibility he genuinely is just a single extremely obsessed right wing fanatic.” | Craig Murray "Philip Cross" | 21 May 2018 |
Sharmine Narwani | “My friend, an engineer — who I will not name for obvious reasons and who I will call ‘Kourosh’ for the purpose of this article — revealed to me in 2010 that he was approached by two “State Department employees” who offered him $250,000 to “do something very simple” during his upcoming trip to Tehran.” | Sharmine Narwani | 21 March 2019 |
TSA | “El Reg: "Sonic Screwdriver is cleared aimed at molesting seized machines, or during black bag operations, not at interfering with factory-fresh products in transit."
Do it at airports during a customs inspection. Take the computer out of the owner's sight and install whatever you want. Or better still, come up with some sort of bogus excuse to force everyone to put their laptops in checked baggage, and then do it in the baggage handling process. That way the subject wouldn't know they had been targeted. Not that anyone would ever dream of doing something as disruptive as arbitrarily forcing people to check their laptops of course...” | 23 March 2017 |
Related Document
Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
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Document:Iain Lobban Address | speech | 12 October 2010 | Iain Lobban | Mr Lobban addresses a selected audience of journalists, opinion formers, government officials, academia and industry representatives on issues related to cyber security and the threat posed by cyber attacks. |
An official example
Name |
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Kaspersky |
References
- ↑ https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/12/nsa_hacking_of_.html
- ↑ https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2018/03/friday_squid_bl_615.html#comments
- ↑ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/08/analysis_suggests_norks_not_behind_olympic_destroyer_malware_attack/
- ↑ http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2016/02/homeland-security-wants-see-something-say-something-campaign-internet/126008/
- ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29649010
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/world/middleeast/obama-ordered-wave-of-cyberattacks-against-iran.html?_r=1&hp
- ↑ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/07/snowden_documents_show_british_digital_spies_using_viruses_and_honey_traps/
- ↑ http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/sections/news/snowden_cyber_offensive1_nbc_document.pdf
- ↑ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/07/snowden_documents_show_british_digital_spies_using_viruses_and_honey_traps/
- ↑ http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mysterious-hackers-are-trying-bring-down-entire-internet-by-ddos-ing-critical-servers-1532762
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uObV-AJDb98 American Blackout
- ↑ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-23/a-decoy-computer-was-set-up-online-see-which-countries-attacked-it-the-most.html