A presentation that highlights the current uses of technology by terrorists

1. TERRORISM, THE INTERNET
AND SOCIAL MEDIA-
THE INTERSECTION OF
TERROR AND TECHNOLOGY

2. “The video camera has become as important a
tool of insurgency as the rocket launcher”

3. SHIFT IN TERRORIST OP PHILOSOPHY
From Mil campaigns sp by info ops.
To Strat comn campaigns sp by guerilla
and terrorist ops.

4. “The internet is the ideal medium for terrorism
today: anonymous but pervasive”.

5. WHY THE INTERNET IS AN IDEAL TOOL FOR
TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS
• Enables rapid communications.
– Ease of access.
– Lack of regulation.
– Fast flow of info.
– Vast potential audiences.
• Low cost.
• Ubiquity of the internet.
• Growth in band width - complex info.
• Anonymity by encryption - offers a ‘virtual
sanctuary’.

6. FACILITIES BEING MADE USE OF BY
TERRORISTS
• E-Mail.
• Chat rooms and e-groups.
• Forums and blogs.
• Social media networks.
• Online knowledge base.
• Video sharing sites.
• Internet TV and radio.

7. TECHNOLOGY ENABLERS
• ‘Mash-ups’ and XML in Web 2.0.
• User generated content.
• Going ‘Viral’.
• Social media.
• Video and photo sharing.
• Language translation.
• GPS apps.
• Google Earth.
• Smart-phones.
• Steganography.

8. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

9. DISSEMINATING HATE
ONLINE VIDEOS
DVDs AND CDs

10. VIDEO OF DANIEL PEARL EXECUTION ON
YOUTUBE

11. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi used streaming media on Web sites
promoting terrorism

12. A BIZARRE AND FASCINATING SUBCULTURE
• Videos and pictures of smiling suicide bombers.
• Victorious Army Group (Islamist) announced a competition to
design its new Web page. The winner would get to fire a
rocket at an American base in Afghanistan!

13. THE MILITARY IS VULNERABLE TOO
• November 2009 - Nidal Hasan, a serving US Army major, used
his service rifle to gun down 13 comrades in Fort Hood, Texas.
• Indoctrinated and deeply influenced by
Anwar al-Awlaki, a fundamentalist spiritual leader.
• He motivated and guided him, helping him overcome any moral
compunctions to slaughter innocent people.
• This activity took place over the Internet:
– Awlaki used his blog to broadcast his radical preaching
– A series of email exchanges pushed Hasan into committing
this act.

14. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

15. THE POWER OF VIDEO AND BLOGS
• Videos - Upload, share, comment in real
time.
• Blogs - Write, read, comment, link to other
content.

16. VIDEO SHARING
YOU TUBE: WHERE WE ALL VIEW AND SHARE VIDEOS ONLINE
AQSA TUBE: WHERE HAMAS AND OTHER TERROR ORGS SHARE VIDEOS
ONLINE
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

17. VIDEO SHARING – WHEREVER THE
INTERNET PREVAILS

20. AL QAEDA ADVERTISING ON AL JAZEERA
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

21. GLORIFICATION OF SUICIDE BOMBERS ON
INTERNET TV

22. VIDEOS AND PICTURES OF TROOPS COMMITING
ATROCITIES GO VIRAL ON THE INTERNET
INFAMOUS APACHE ATTACK
ON REPORTERS IN IRAQ
INAPPROPRIATE
BEHAVIOUR
BY US MARINES
IN AFGHANISTAN

23. VIRTUAL WORLDS AND VIDEO GAMES
• Video games - Moulding the psyche.
• MMORPGs - Virtual worlds and
avatars.

24. SPECIAL FORCE 1 & 2 – CREATED BY
HEZBOLLAH

25. SPECIAL FORCE 1 & 2 – CREATED BY
HEZBOLLAH

26. MORE GAMES FOR TERRORISTS
CALL OF DUTY
QUEST FOR BUSH
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

27. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

28. THE UBIQUITOUS INTERNET KNOWLEDGE BASE

29. THE UBIQUITOUS INTERNET KNOWLEDGE BASE

30. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

31. FUND-RAISING
• Donations from religious and ideological
groups – online transfer of funds.
• Soliciting donations on the Internet.
• Charities and NGOs – online donations.
• Internet fraud and cyber-crime.

32. FUND-RAISING
• “Cyber-crime has now surpassed
international drug trafficking as a terrorist
financing enterprise."
- US Congressional Research Service Report

33. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

34. RECRUITING GOES ONLINE - TERRORISTS
MAKING 'FRIENDS' ON FACEBOOK
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

35. SOLICITING RECRUITS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

36. WEBSITE OF AL-FATEH, A CHILDREN’S ONLINE MAGAZINE
BY HAMAS – GLORIFYING ARMED JIHAD

37. TARGETING TEENAGERS
• One example -a rap song titled
Dirty Kuffar ("kuffar" being the
Arabic word for "nonbelievers").
• Downloaded by millions of web
surfers worldwide.
• Praises Bin Laden, Hamas, and
Hezbollah.
• Features a masked rapper who
carries a rifle and a Quran.

38. CONTENTS OF AL QAEDA TRAINING MANUAL
AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET
• Necessary Qualifications and Characteristics for the Organization's Members
• Counterfeit Currency and Forged Documents
• Organization Military Bases, "Apartments Places" - Hiding
• Means of Communication and Transportation
• Training
• Weapons: Measure Related to Buying and Transporting Them
• Member Safety
• Security Plan
• Definition of Special Operations
• Espionage (1) Information-Gathering Using Open Methods
• Espionage (2) Information-Gathering Using Covert Methods
• Secret Writing and Cipher and Codes
• Kidnapping and Assassinations Using Rifles and Pistols
• Explosives
• Assassinations Using Poisons and Cold Steel
• Torture Methods
• Prisons and Detention Centers

39. CONTENTS OF IRA GREEN BOOK AVAILABLE ON
THE INTERNET
The book contains information on:
• Political philosophy of the IRA.
• Irish history in terms of struggle against the occupation of
Ireland.
• The military objectives of the organisation.
• The military strategy for guerrilla fighters.
• The military equipment and tools that can be used by Guerrilla
fighters.
• The military equipment and training for tools available to the
IRA.
• Propaganda techniques within the theatre of operations.
• Interrogation techniques and how to resist them.

40. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• An exchange found on the open, non-coded forum
belonging to Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-
Qassam Brigades:
"I have a kilogram of acetone. I want to know how to
make an explosive with it to blow up a military
jeep."
• Another member promptly provided the instructions.

41. ONLINE MAOIST TRAINING MANUAL FOUND
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

42. It’s easier for terrorists to organise virtual
training sessions on the internet than to
hold practical classes like this.

43. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

44. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

45. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

46. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

47. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

48. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

49. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

50. OFFICIAL WEBSITES

51. CLOSER HOME- OFFICIAL WEBSITES,
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND BLOGS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

52. CLOSER HOME- OFFICIAL WEBSITES,
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND BLOGS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

53. CLOSER HOME- OFFICIAL WEBSITES,
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND BLOGS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

54. CLOSER HOME- OFFICIAL WEBSITES,
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND BLOGS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

55. CLOSER HOME- OFFICIAL WEBSITES,
SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND BLOGS
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

59. OFFICIAL FACEBOOK COMMENT
• “Our website tries to strike a very delicate balance
between giving people the freedom to express
their opinions and viewpoints; and maintaining a
safe and trusted environment."

60. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

61. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• Instructions for assembling a rocket published on the
Hamas/Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades forum.

62. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Media Center publishes online English-
language Handbook on Making Homemade Explosives.

63. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• The Media Center of the Afghan Taliban publishes its monthly
Arabic-language e-magazine, “al-Samoud,” on its website and
jihadist forums.

64. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) released an album
of 102 photographs taken at the Military Training Camp of
Professor Abu Abdullah al-Pakistani on its website.

65. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• A video showing four possible “solutions” for women to
participate in jihad, including the role of suicide bomber and
wife to a male fighter, posted on the Shumukh al-Islam forum.

66. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• "The Lofty Woman" (Al-Shamikha), an online jihadi magazine
dedicated to Muslim women, offers advice to female jihadists.

67. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• The Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) publishes its Arabic-language
training e-magazine "Islamic Turkistan”.

68. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• Online video tutorial to make a "homemade electronic igniter"
that terrorists can use in their explosive devices or manufacture
into an electrocution device.

69. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF) published a 64-page
English-language security and intelligence manual and released
the document on online jihadist forums.

70. SHARING OF ‘PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION’
• Training videos on AqsaTube.

71. DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH TERRORISTS
CAN USE THE INTERNET
• Psychological Warfare.
• Publicity and Propaganda.
• Data Mining.
• Fundraising.
• Recruitment and Training.
• Networking.
• Sharing Information.
• Planning and coordination.

72. PLANNING A TERRORIST ATTACK VIA THE
INTERNET
• Building target profiles, hacking, exploiting security gaps.
• Communication via chat rooms, websites, blogs, forums.
• Encryption via spam, speech compression, steganography.
• Spread disinformation, threats, recruit, mobilize hackers.
• Fund-raising, transfer of funds.
• Training, instructions, familiarisation with eqpt.
• Avoid geographical risk, use of GPS, maps.
• Command and control - chat rooms, e-mails.
• Direct attention from a real attack scenario -dxn.

73. E-COMMERCE PORTALS MAKE IT EASY TO
PURCHASE DUAL-USE MTRL OFF THE INTERNET
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

74. E-COMMERCE PORTALS MAKE IT EASY TO
PURCHASE DUAL-USE MTRL OFF THE INTERNET
Lt Col Sushil Pradhan

75. TERRORIST CYBER ATTACKS
Aim: Publicity.
Manifestation :
• Loss of integrity.
• Loss of availability.
• Loss of confidentiality.
• Physical destruction.
Feasibility: Bite the hand that feeds?

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77. TERRORISM ON THE INTERNET IN INDIA
• Poor Internet penetration.
• However, smart-phone dispersion.
• Language barriers.
• However, beware of speed of
(dis)information flow and rumours.

78. “On the Internet people are uploading and
downloading ideologies. In a few years,
every citizen of the world will be able to
compare between his country, his own
government and the one next door.”
Thomas Freidman

79. TERRORISM, THE INTERNET AND
SOCIAL MEDIA
PART 2
MEETING THE CHALLENGE

80. MEETING THE CHALLENGE
CROWD-SOURCING
OR
INPUTS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT

81. MEETING THE CHALLENGE
1. Get informed.
2. The Int dilemma – to monitor or control (ESM or
ECM)?
3. Enact and enforce (??) laws – what about civil
liberties?
4. Perception management - proactive measures (spin
doctoring).
5. Monitor terrorist activities - specially trained cyber-
teams.
6. Involvement of pvt sector – ISPs and hosting sites.
7. Infiltrate extremist virtual communities - indls, govt
agencies, citizen gps.
8. Back-up measures and strategies.

82. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE YOUR SUGGESTIONS
1. Drop them off at my office / home.
2. Mail me at pradhansushil@gmail.com.
3. SMS me when your think of something-
9730005457.

83. THANK YOU