ICT Cyber-Desk Review: Report #10

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This report covers the period of July - September 2014, and covers two main subjects: cyber-terrorism (offensive, defensive, and the media, and the main topics of jihadist discourse) and cyber-crime, whenever and wherever it is linked to jihad (funding, methods of attack).

The following are among the issues covered in this report:

• Documentation of training videos and written tutorials on the topics on cyber-security and protection. The discourse concerned intelligence efforts to identify cyber-criminals online and included explanations on how to surf the Web anonymously using various software programs and techniques.

• A group of hackers called the “Islamic State Electronic Battalions” claimed responsibility for the breach of Twitter accounts belonging to “White Shroud”, an organization that operates against the Islamic State in Syria-Iraq.

• During Operation ‘Protective Edge’ there was an increase in attempted cyber-attacks against Israeli targets in the framework of the OpIsrael and OpSaveGaza operations, including a breach of the IDF spokesperson’s Twitter account and a fictitious announcement regarding a feared nuclear leak in the Dimona area.

• There was an increase of cases in which the details of millions of credit cards used at retail chains throughout the United States were leaked, from the start of 2013 and throughout 2014, which caused lasting economic damage.

• There was an increase on the usage of darknet-based malware in an effort to increase the anonymity of the user in carrying out an attack. The malware, which uses TOR and I2P, encrypts data traffic between the attacked computer and the control and command server.