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US Begins Dropping 'Cyberbombs' On ISIS (nytimes.com)
In what appears to be a significant shift in its tactic to battle against the terrorist organization, the U.S. has begun launching cyberattacks against ISIS (non-paywall link). The New York Times reports that the Department of Defense's Cyber Command unit is mounting cyberattacks against the terrorist organization. The Cyber Command unit aims to stop the organization from spreading its message. The Times reports: The goal of the new campaign is to disrupt the ability of the Islamic State to spread its message, attract new adherents, circulate orders from commanders and carry out day-to-day functions, like paying its fighters. A benefit of the administration's exceedingly rare public discussion of the campaign, officials said, is to rattle the Islamic State's commanders, who have begun to realize that sophisticated hacking efforts are manipulating their data. Potential recruits may also be deterred if they come to worry about the security of their communications with the militant group. "We are dropping cyberbombs," Robert O. Work, deputy secretary of defense said. "We have never done that before."
> Get real, this is bullshit. Anybody who has or uses an AK47 is not someone who stores meaningful data on a computer.
The armed forces of about 60 countries have and use the AK-47.
ISIL has about a billion dollars. They acquired $429 million when they took over the Mosul branch of the Central Bank of Iraq, and they now run retail bank branches in the territory the occupy. They "govern" a population of about 4 million, roughly half the size of Switzerland or Israel, and a bit larger than Barcelona or Houston.
ISIL has captured Syrian MiG-23 fighter jets, and demonstrated the use of Mohajer 4 drones captured from Syria and Iran. They have the M1A1M Abrams tank captured from the Iraqi army.
ISIL is a quasi-government, with not only a significant military administered by computers, but civil infrastructure as well - a tax system, payroll for 200,000 employees, etc. If you thought ISIL was a few guys riding around on camels, that's not quite true.