My First Encounter with AI

Internet Hacking and Cyber Terrorism

In the recent past, concerns related to cyber terrorism and internet hacking have skyrocketed due to advancement in technology. These acts are often done in an attempt to expose, destroy, alter, or gain unauthorized access to the use of an asset or property. The current society is dependent on technology, which has the ability of introducing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by individuals with essential skills. Hackers and cyber-terrorists have the potential to introduce threats in a system and responsible for damaging information systems (Icaza, 2018). These activities often result in the loss of resources, finances, and damage of organizational reputation. Cyber-terrorists have taken advantage of technological infrastructures to further their cause. The use of internet in malicious acts has caused the spread of terrorism in various parts of the world.

Real-Life Examples of Internet Hacking

Cases reported in cyber-terrorism have increased exponentially. Research shows that most cyber terrorists achieve their objectives through organized groups that consist of hackers and financiers, among other facilitators. Internet has been applied by terrorists through an array of activities, such as denial of service attacks, web-site defacing, and terroristic threats through electronic communication.

Denial-of-Service Attack in Estonia

Modern societies are vulnerable to cyber-attacks and hacking attempts by terrorists and people of interests. Herzog (2011) explains how Estonia received contingency plans that created an instability and disturbance in the country through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyber-attacks. He explains how the state of Estonia suffered the massive denial-of-service attack that shut down services that were dependent on the country’s internet connectivity after it was rendered offline in 2007 (Icaza, 2018). The disrupted infrastructure ranged from mobile phone networks and online banking services to access to healthcare information and government services. The attack was facilitated by a dispute that existed between Estonia and Russia. Although the two countries had a long history of strife, the attack was facilitated by the removal of a Bronze Soldier – the statue that depicted the Soviet liberation of Estonia from the Nazis – from the Park situated in central Tallinn to a different location in Tallinn Military Cemetery, a decision that sparked rioting in the region. After years of lobbying following their effort to join NATO in 2004, Estonia benefited from contingency plans to protect the country from invasion by Russia. The government has also implemented house-to-house plans of defense against the aggression of the Russians. The attack reminded the world of the threat of cyber-terrorism and reliance on information technology, which can be disrupted through technological attacks.

Ransomware in South Korea

The vulnerability of South Korea to cyber-attacks has increased tremendously in the recent past. The country has exceptional cutting edge technology and high speed internet although its cyber security infrastructure is weak. Hackers damaged the country’s economy after a ransomware harassed both users and private companies, who experienced the loss of personal information. Records show that one company was extorted approximately $1 million from one company in South Korea and demanded approximately $300 from every victim. A report by Naveen (2019) explains that a Korea-based web hosting company was bit by Erebus ransomware that drowned approximately 153 Linux based servers and more than 3500 websites.

In a bid to mitigate similar attacks in future, South Korean government implemented countermeasures to protect the country’s information security centres. The country’s National Intelligence Agency is now concerned with the goal of cyber security to improve the confidentiality and safety of user information. At the British National Health Service, the attack froze computers, emergency rooms, and brought medical treatment to a stop. Government offices in Spain, Russia, and Asian universities were disrupted including global companies such as Renault and Nissan.

Research shows that the ransomware used to infect computers in South Korea originated from North Korea. The virus inflicted global damage and disabled the British National Health Service’s hospital network. The attack affected more than 150nations by locking digital documents, files, and databases after which ransom was released.

The WannaCry ransomware that was used exploited vulnerabilities in operating systems of old versions of Microsoft Windows. This created the need for organizations to patch their computers with security fixes that have the ability to block the attacks. The American government promised to exert maximum pressure to curb North Korea’s strategy and ability to attack and disrupt economy through cyber hackers.

Real-Life Examples of Cyber-Terrorism

Businesses in the United States have increased their response mechanisms on the premise of terrorist attacks. Cyber-terrorism is considered among the main risks of companies for companies in America. According to Naveen (2019), cyber terrorism that involves a cyber-attack is different from that defined under cyber-insurance. However, records show that the rate of cyber-terrorism in the recent past due to the challenge of identifying challenges and the concern that some of the hackers don’t measure up to the present tactics of terrorism.

ISIS CyberCaliphate

Extremist organizations have started to embrace the act of cyberterrorism in their attacks. In 2015, the ISIS’ CyberCaliphate group hacked the U.S. Central Command’s Youtube and Twitter where it posted different threats and pro-ISIS messages (Hellen, 2015). The post stated, “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the CyberCaliphate continues its CyberJihad… American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back,” The NewYork Times explained that the attack in Central Command was similar to that had happened in the hacking of Sony Pictures.

Al-Qaeda, has also attempted to recruit individuals through the use of strong hacking and computer skills. Acccording to Byman (2016), Al Qaeda which is listed AS A Foreign terrorist Organization, made it to the list  of terrorirst in 1999 as a result of heinous activities, militant ways, and brutality.  Although this group is known for its physical attacks than cyber presence, the group has turned to the use of social media in a bid to spread its Jihad message. The group has hinted possible attacks on the country’s economy including financial institutions, stock market, and Wall Street. It is also targeting utilities including natural gas, sewage, and transportation.

            Al Qaeda uses the internet in a bid to further their agenda through a written magazine called Inspire that is run by the group in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). This online magazine provides information to commentate and jihadist movement on the kill list. Recording their experiences and videoing the executions after which they get released to video games play a significant role in fighting against the Westerners, Jews, and the U.S. military (Byman, 2016). This is also an effective method of showing people their significance and relevance and normalizing their behavior. However, the group’s application of cyber-terrorism is limited due to limited tools and skills. Nevertheless, reports show that the group’s online alliances attacked a web server that was operated by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) in 2001. The company has groups that execute cyber-terrorism through web defacement, DDoS attacks, breach of data, hacker sites, and rudimentary capabilities. Other cyber-terrorism attempts by the group have failed including a DoS attack on the Vatican website following controversial comments of Pope Benedict.      

            Successful attempts were made by through the groups partnership with Tunisian Cyber Army whereby it penetrated prominent websites, most of which belonged to the American government agencies and multinational corporations. The groups’ activities are often intended to spread propaganda and rumors to increase the number of people who believe in their actions.

Propaganda/Publicity

In the past, terrorists and resistance groups experienced difficulties in relaying political messages to the public. However, the introduction of the internet has made it easy for cyber-terrorists to achieve their purpose. One organization known for this behavior is the Zapatista movement, which is confined to a limited area in Chiapas. However, the employment of internet has made it possible for this group to extend its political outreach through various computer networks. The group has woven an electronic fabric of struggle that carries their revolution in Mexico and around the world. The group’s activities were restrained to the jungles of Chiapas through limited press coverage and military repression. However, these efforts failed due to the application of electronic mail by independent journalists who conducted interviews on the groups (Icaza, 2018). Reports by foreign observers and Mexicans circulated all over the world and caused the Zapatistas to break from the attempted isolation. Every time the Mexicans responded in support of their action, the group kindled a pro-democracy uprising against the corrupt political and economic system.

Although the group’s efforts were disabled by the Mexican government, their movement brought a ray of energy and hope among the people of Mexico (Byman, 2016). However, of importance is that the popularity in this group was facilitated by the use of computer communication, mass media coverage, and the use of electronic networks, among other familiar tactics. Internet was used to spread the group’s activities in different parts of the country, an aspect that helped them to garner the aspired influence in the country.

In 2015, a hacker from Kosovo was charged for accessing individual personal identification information from various federal members and service groups, which he released to the ISIS. He was prosecuted by the criminal justice for charges of terrorism. Records show that the Syrian Electronic Army has been involved in the vandalism of various websites and media outlets in France, UK and the U.S. in support of the Syrian government (Burton, 2015). In 1999, many NATO computers got attacked with emails and DoS attacks by hackers who were protesting against the bombings by NATO. During this time, many public organizations received emails that were laden with virus.

Effects of Cyber-terrorism and Internet Hacking to the Society

Cyber-terrorism often inflicts emotional, cognitive, and financial effects on the society. According to 2019, stress causes emotional effects while the perception of threats is cognitive. Although cyber-attacks are likely to evoke emotional imbalance, terrorism that is accompanied by the loss of life and injuries causes serious societal imbalance, which often results in financial losses. The instance, ramsomware in South Korea caused significant losses in the targeted companies and individuals, an aspect that had indirect effects on the economy. The effects of cyber-terrorism often facilitate injury or mass death of the target population. The fact that Islam activists use internet to raise funds and recruit members, the effects of which could have chilling effects on the society’s growth and emotional balance.

Actions to stop Cyber-terrorism and Internet Hacking

The United States should continue to familiarize itself with the idea of cyberwarfare and cyberterrorism tactics in order to mitigate the risks to avoid such atttaks. According to Associated Press Staff (2017), institutions should make real investments in order to enhance the security of the critical technological infrastructure, which includes military systems and government systems, among other private sector systems. According to Burton (2015), institutions should disconnect internet from infrastructure that has the ability to be turned into a weapon regardless of the safeguards implemented to protect it. It is also essential to implement structures that ensure that maximum protection in a manner that protects the infrastructure from all forms of attack. Institutions in various parts of the world have implemented joint programs with cyber-security organizations in a bid to combat the issue of cyber-terrorism.

Individuals and institutions should exercise basic precautions to protect the systems from cybercrimes. It is important to employ the use of full-service suite of internet security and provide real time protection to malware including ransomware and virus to protect private and financial information. Other strategies include the use of strong passwords and keeping the software updated. Social media setting should be managed to strengthen the network while staying updated with security breaches. It is also essential to use various products and technologies such as intrusion detection, cryptography, and firewalls. Procedures such as recovery and reconstitution should be improved and secured to protect the IT assets that are owned or operated by individuals or organizations. Passive defense mechanisms such as stopping an attack that is in progress are also essential mechanisms to prevent internet hacking and cyber terrorism. The defender must plug ensure that they locate and plug a vulnerability hole in due time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources

Associated Press Staff (2017). North Korea is blamed for global ransomware attack. Associated Press. Retrieved from https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2017/1219/North-Korea-is-blamed-for-global-ransomware-attack

Burton, J. (2015). NATO’s cyber defence: Strategic challenges and institutional adaptation. Defence Studies, 15(4), 297-319. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702436.2015.1108108

Byman, D. L. (2016, July 28). Comparing Al Qaeda and ISIS: Different goals, different targets. Retrieved July 16, 2018, from https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/comparing-al-qaeda-and-isis-different-goals-different-targets/

Hellen, C., (2015). ISIS is cited in hacking of central command’s Twitter and Youtube accounts. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/us/isis-is-cited-in-hacking-of-central-commands-twitter-feed.html

Herzog, S. (2011). Revisiting the Estonian cyber attacks: Digital threats and multinational responses. Journal of Strategic Security, 4(2), 49-60.nic fabric of struggle (pp. 81-103). http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.4.2.3

Icaza, R. (2018). Social struggles and the coloniality of gender. In Routledge Handbook of Postcolonial Politics (pp. 58-71). Routledge.

Naveen, G., (2019). South Korean Web Hosting Company hit by Erebus Ransomware. Cybersecurity Insiders. Retrieved from https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/south-korean-web-hosting-company-hit-by-erebus-ransomware/