[Infowarrior] - Fwd: Hezbollah's Cyber Warfare Program

[Richard Forno]

> From: "Simon Taplin"
>
> Hezbollah's Cyber Warfare Program
>
> http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004216.html
>
> Hezbollah's Cyber Warfare Program
>
> Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff warned that
> the Hezbollah resistance movement is the greatest threat to US
> national security. Hezbollah is known or suspected to have been
> involved in numerous terror attacks against the U.S., Israel or other
> Western targets, and includes the 1983 suicide truck bombings in
> Beirut that killed 241 U.S. Marines at their barracks and 58 at the
> French military barracks. Intelligence officials in the U.S. and
> Britain believe Hezbollah cells may use their computer expertise and
> capabilities to launch cyber attacks.
>
> A 2002 CIA report warned a number of terrorist groups are beginning to
> plan attacks on western computer networks. The report went on to say
> that al-Qaeda and Hezbollah were becoming more adept at using the
> internet and computer technologies. In more recent reports they name
> Sunni extremists Hezbollah and Aleph as groups believed to be
> developing cyber terrorism plans. For terrorist groups, cyber weapons
> are cheap, easy to acquire and difficult to detect or track and are
> quickly becoming a common weapon in their arsenal.
>
> While Hezbollah's capabilities to launch such an attack are
> questionable, the intelligence community in U.S., Britain and Israeli
> are taking the threat seriously. Why, because Hezbollah showed its
> increasing technological sophistication and capabilities during its
> war with Israel back in 2006. Once Israel began bombing Hezbollah
> targets, the intelligence sources say cyber space began. While
> intelligence analysts are convinced conventional terror remains
> Hezbollah's main strategy and weapon, some believe that it could
> activate sleeper cells in order to open a second front in cyber space.
> Intelligence sources know that terrorist groups including Hezbollah,
> the Abu Nidal Organization, and UBL's Al-Qeida Organization are using
> computerized files, email, and encryption to support their operations.
>
> Hezbollah Profile (AKA Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)
> Established In the 1980s
> Home Base: Lebanon, but it also has cells in North/South America,
> Asia, Europe and Africa.
> Support: Iran and Syria provide substantial organizational, training
> and financing.
> Orientation: Hezbollah is a radical Iranian-backed Lebanese Islamic  
> Shiite group
> Funding: estimated at $60 million annually
> Size: Hezbollah's core consists of several thousand militants and  
> activists
> Equipment: Hezbollah possesses up-to-date information technologies -
> broadband wireless networks and computers.
> Cyber Capabilities: Global Rating in Cyber Capabilities -- Tied at  
> Number 37
>
> Hezbollah has been able to engage in fiber optic cable tapping,
> enabling data interception and the hijacking of Internet and
> communication connections.
> Cyber Warfare Budget: $935,000 USD
> Offensive Cyber Capabilities: 3.1 (1 = Low, 3 = Moderate and 5 =  
> Significant)
> Cyber Weapons Rating: Basic -- but developing intermediate  
> capabilities
> Web Site: http://www.hizbollah.org or www.hizballah.org
> Ties: Hezbollah has close ties with Iran. Many believe that Hezbollah
> is a surrogate for the Iranian army
> Fact: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared May 8, 2008 that the
> Shiite militant group's communications network is its most important
> weapon, and that the government's decision to target the network was
> tantamount to a declaration of war. In Hezbollah's view, its
> communications technology is just as essential for the group's
> survival as its missiles.
>
> Hezbollah is on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist
> organizations. The FBI says it now considers Hezbollah operatives more
> capable and robust than even Al Qaeda terrorists. With Hezbollah's
> interest in developing advanced cyber weapons, their capabilities will
> continue to increase. As we have seen, the proliferation of cyber
> weapons is rapidly expanding and no longer limited to nation states
> and organized criminal groups. The cyber arms club now includes
> terrorist groups. Using new hacking techniques, taking advantage of
> security vulnerabilities and using simple proven cyber attack methods,
> terrorists have the capability to attack us in way not seen before.
> Key infrastructure systems that include utilities, banking, media/TV
> systems, telecommunications and air traffic control systems have
> already been compromised. No one knows if cyber terrorists created
> trap doors and left logic bombs allowing them to easily bypass
> security systems and disrupt our critical infrastructure in
> coordination with traditional style attacks.
>
> -- Kevin Coleman