Back in 2016, the US Army managed to stop a massive online propaganda campaign deployed by the Islamic State. For this, the armed forces designed a complex hacking operation against multiple ISIS servers, as claimed by an ethical hacking report drawn up from recently declassified documents.
The report, mentioned by Yahoo News, explains details about how the US Cyber Command managed to disrupt efforts to disseminate ISIS’ radical message online through “Operation Glowing Symphony”, the first operation openly recognized by the Pentagon. In addition, it is mentioned that the US Cyber Command had serious bureaucratic setbacks in order to begin the deployment of this operation.
On previous occasions, US government officials had already admitted the use of cyber weapons and ethical hacking methods as part of the fight against terrorism, although these recent publications reveal more details about the army’s actions American against the notorious terrorist group.
“These documents were disclosed in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, and demonstrate the unprecedented complexity and planning dedicated to this operation,” ethical hacking specialists say.
This hacking operation is, in practice, an energetic response to the advancement of extremist groups and their message through online platforms such as forums, social networks and advertisers; according to the report, online platforms are used by ISIS and other terrorist groups for the purpose of recruiting and radicalizing the ideological positions of those interested in the subject.
According to the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) these declassified documents also offer some clues on how US cyber commandos operated to combat the possible intrusion of foreign actors into elections Past. For this, Paul Nakasone, leader of US Cyber Command, ordered the formation of a new group known as Small Russia, dedicated entirely to the attention of potential threats to the American electoral process.
Although the most recent operation against ISIS culminated in the death of its leader, specialists still foresee possible attempts to cyberattack some of the most important US computer systems.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
