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Al-Qaeda's Growing Online Offensive

Posted by Soulskill on from the propaganda-made-easier dept.

andy1307 brings us a story from the Washington Post about al-Qaeda's technological capabilities and the methods they use to protect themselves and their networks from opposing military forces. Quoting: "US and European intelligence officials attribute the al-Qaeda propaganda boom in part to the network's ability to establish a secure base in the ungoverned tribal areas of western Pakistan. Analysts said that as-Sahab (AQ's propaganda network) is outfitted with some of the best technology available. Editors and producers use ultralight Sony Vaio laptops and top-end video cameras. Files are protected using PGP, or Pretty Good Privacy, a virtually unbreakable form of encryption software that is also used by intelligence agencies around the world. [Al-Fajr, a propaganda distribution network] is heavily decentralized, with its webmasters generally unaware of one another's true identities for security reasons, intelligence analysts said. It also has separate 'brigades' devoted to hacking, multimedia, cybersecurity and distribution."

6 of 369 comments (clear)

  1. Not hacking! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I seriously doubt they have brigades set aside for finding clever solutions to a non-obvious problem, Please, they are cracking, not hacking...

  2. Which Al-Qaeda? by Swampash · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm confused. Is this new decentralised online digital five-nines 256-symmetric multimedia Al Qaeda the same bunch of guys who are starving, cut off from support, and cowering in fear for their lives in caves?

    Just wondering.

  3. Re:Anyone could prove by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, it may not be FUD. Imagine if Al-Qaeda and Anonymous joined forces! Then we'd be truly fucked. Their tagline would be: "Taking down the West for Epic Lulz"

    --
    I hate printers.
  4. Re:Bullshit by Richard+W.M.+Jones · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is a sick fucked up system.. where our companies that directly benefit from wars also run our media..

    So that explains what CmdrTaco is getting up to when he should be proof-reading Slashdot stories. Running a global defense corporation :-)

    Rich.

    --
    libguestfs - tools for accessing and modifying virtual machine disk images
  5. Re:Editors-of-Evil by drpimp · · Score: 2, Funny

    Reputable source? Hmmm... I don't see the green bar.

    --
    -- Brought to you by Carl's JR
  6. Re:Don't miss the point. by billcopc · · Score: 2, Funny

    Really ? Educated people are not violent, you say ?

    Care to show us your unbiased research data ? If anything, an education gives you more information upon which to base your judgement of a person's worth. If you're chemically unbalanced (like me), that information can make you want to kill even more.

    *licks lips* Golly, you sure have a pretty mouth.

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    -Billco, Fnarg.com