tagged w/ cyberintelligence
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Spy bloggers not ‘friending’ U.S. targets, Centcom says
By Jeff Stein
The U.S. Central Command says its new “Persona” social media "infiltration" software is designed to cozy up to extremist bloggers overseas, not law-abiding Americans chatting on Facebook or similar sites.
Earlier this month, the Web buzzed with a report that the software was designed to “manage ‘fake people’ on social media sites and create the illusion of consensus on controversial issues,” implying that the Defense Department was targeting critics of the war in Afghanistan and other conflicts.
Further compounding a sinister view of the software was the discovery of e-mails from the head of a company implicated in “dirty tricks” against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and a pro-labor organization, which discussed how such technology could be used.
"There are a variety of social media tricks we can use to add a level of realness to all fictitious personas...” wrote Aaron Barr, the chief executive officer of HBGary Federal, a Colorado Springs company whose hacked e-mails revealed plans to attack critics of Bank of America and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Barr resigned Feb. 28 “to allow the company to move on after an embarrassing data breach,” according to the technology Web site ThreatPost.
Centom's June 22, 2010, contract, offered through the U.S. Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, specified that “Individual applications will enable an operator to exercise a number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries…while hiding the existence of the operation…and provid(ing) excellent cover and powerful deniability.”
“Individuals can perform static impersonations, which allow them to look like the same person over time,” the contract added. It “also allows organizations that frequent same site/service often to easily switch IP addresses to look like ordinary users as opposed to one organization.”
The fake Internet personas, the contract specified, “must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms.”
Centcom spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks acknowledged in an interview last week that the Air Force had a contract for the Persona Management Software, but denied it would be deployed against domestic online protesters.
“The contract, and the Persona management technology itself, supports classified blogging activities on foreign-language Web sites to enable CENTCOM to counter violent extremist and enemy propaganda outside the U.S.,” Speaks told SpyTalk. “The contract would more accurately be described as supporting U.S. Central Command, rather than the Air Force -- the Wing here at MacDill provides contracting support for us -- efforts.”
Speaks said the software would "absolutely" not be used against law-abiding Americans.
Former CIA director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden called the technology cutting-edge but “developmental.”
“Operationally developmental, technologically developmental and legally developmental,” he told Washington Times reporter Shawn Waterman.
But in testimony last June, then-Centcom commander Gen. David Petraeus suggested the use of such technology was well underway.
“Operation Earnest Voice (OEV) is the critical program of record that resources our efforts to synchronize our Information Operations activities, to counter extremist ideology and propaganda, and to ensure that credible voices in the region are heard,” Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“OEV provides Centcom with direct communication capabilities to reach regional audiences through traditional media as well as via Web sites and regional public affairs blogging,” Petraeus said.
The FBI has also used fictitious identities for years to infiltrate jihadist Web sites.
Sometimes touted as "America’s first online operative in the War on Terror," the FBI's Shannen L. Rossmiller, a former Montana municipal judge, is said to have "created 30 fictitious male Islamist undercover identities...for purposes of communicating and tracking the enemy [in] Arabic language Internet forums."
"Since 9/11, Judge Rossmiller has delivered more than 200 cases of actionable intelligence and stings -- including two of the largest convictions in the War on Terror," her Web site claims.
GO TO STORY:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/spy-talk/2011/03/spy_bloggers_not_friending_us.htmlSpy bloggers not ‘friending’ U.S. targets, Centcom says
By Jeff Stein... more
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An incident from 2008, brought to light recently by the Washington Post, reveals just how discombobulated our nation's cybersecurity efforts actually are. A terrorist-tracking forum, created by the CIA and Saudi government, was shut down by the National Security Agency.
The message board was started by the CIA and Saudi government as a "honey pot" for gathering intelligence on extremist activities in the area. By all accounts, the strategy was working—the website saw significant terrorist traffic and provided a wealth of intelligence to both nations.
But according to the National Security Agency the site was a little too well-trafficked, and in 2008 it determined that the site was being used by terrorists to facilitate attacks against American forces in Iraq. A task force of officials convened and, despite the CIA's objections and one official's claim that the the NSA had no authority to do so, the plan to shut down the site went forward.
Taking down sites is tricky business, and along with the forum the Pentagon unit that was carrying out the operation accidentally took out 300 servers in Saudi Arabia, Germany and Texas. The Germans, as well as the Saudi officials who had lost a valuable intelligence resource, were not pleased with the disruption.
http://gizmodo.com/5497977/the-department-of-defense-covertly-dismantled-a-terrorist-message-boardcreated-by-the-ciaAn incident from 2008, brought to light recently by the Washington Post, reveals just... more
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Once an agency crosses over into social media interactions with other agencies and non-governmental organizations, the guidance gets diluted. The guidelines point to five government agencies, none of which are the definitive resource for social media implementations. These guidelines are a must read for any organization that is considering a foray into the Web 2.0 sphere…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/25/federal-guides-for-social-media-security-pii/Once an agency crosses over into social media interactions with other agencies and... more
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The sheer volume of potential targets coupled with the vast amounts of money to be made has captured the attention of the global criminal hacking community. Enterprise networks are becoming hardened and they are still vulnerable. We are fragmented and all over the place with an incredible array of interdependent technologies that are set up with convenience in mind and security second…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/18/the-dismal-state-of-information-security/The sheer volume of potential targets coupled with the vast amounts of money to be... more
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MicroSolved, Inc. (MSI) has developed the 80/20 Rule of Information Security that proposes the concept that 80% of an organizations’ real information security comes from only 20% of the assets and effort put into the program. These 13 security projects will give your organization the most effective information security coverage for the least expenditure of time and resources. These projects, once completed, should allow CIO’s to create an effective, efficient, and standards-based approach to information security…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/17/the-8020-rule-for-information-security/MicroSolved, Inc. (MSI) has developed the 80/20 Rule of Information Security that... more
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Infosec Island, the new community for IT and information security professionals, today announced that its new enhanced authentication service based on the SyferLock™ GridGuard™ solution, is now live. Deploying this technology provides Infosec Island members with the option to login with a very high level of security for confidential business, personal or security-related communications. SyferLock’s GridOne authentication is available on Infosec Island to all registered members, and membership is free.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/16/syferlock-gridguard-live-on-infosec-island/Infosec Island, the new community for IT and information security professionals, today... more
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Similar to security assessments, network architecture designs and other projects, a development project, such as this one involves the exchange of confidential data, including in this case, intellectual property designs, requirements documents, test plans, code fragments and road maps. We could have chose to exchange these documents over email, or printed them out and sent them next day parcel post. Instead, we ate our own dogfood and utilized IslandPKI encrypted document and message transfer…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/16/how-a-security-company-applies-security/Similar to security assessments, network architecture designs and other projects, a... more
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Over a billion people visited social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter last month so it’s not surprising that hackers have these sites in their cross-hairs. In fact, according to recent research from Breach Security Labs, social networks were the most targeted category in 2009, accounting for 19% of all malicious attacks last year. By using simple data encryption and password protection tools, you can ensure that your personal information and online identities remain secure and private…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/14/how-to-protect-your-social-network-identity/Over a billion people visited social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter... more
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So, if my PC is compromised because I don’t have adequate security and $800,000 goes missing from my account, whose fault is it? At first glance some may say the victims, others may say the banks. The fact that there are so many ways passwords can be compromised and accounts can be taken over, and banks know this, it should motivate banks to have redundant security in place. Hacks like this undermine people’s confidence in the system.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/14/banks-fail-to-provide-effective-online-security/So, if my PC is compromised because I don’t have adequate security and $800,000... more
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SQL injections have evolved in their purpose and sophistication. Originally meant as a tool to attack a merchant’s database and steal data. The attack was reconfigured last summer to install viruses on users’ computers that contain a remote control component. The bad guys are going after high-profile, high-volume websites, instead of going after the smaller websites, which are easier to inject code into…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/09/targeted-sequel-injection-attacks-on-the-rise/SQL injections have evolved in their purpose and sophistication. Originally meant as a... more
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Police believe they may have uncovered an international ATM “skimming” ring responsible for stealing money from hundreds of local accounts. It was not too long ago that I bought an ATM north of Boston from a dude named Bob at a bar and rolled it through the streets of Boston nabbing unsuspecting users who entered their debit cards and PINS. I performed this crazy stunt to demonstrate how easy it is and how vulnerable we are.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/07/police-make-arrests-in-atm-skimming-ring/Police believe they may have uncovered an international ATM “skimming”... more
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WireHead SecurityTM, an information security services firm providing customers with solutions to strengthen internal security and risk management, today announced a partnership agreement with the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), under which member institutions can take advantage of discounted service pricing. NCICU is comprised of North Carolina’s 36 private, non-profit liberal arts, comprehensive, and research colleges and universities accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/02/wirehead-security-partners-with-ncicu/WireHead SecurityTM, an information security services firm providing customers with... more
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Fraud as a service or FaaS for the acronym collectors, has been a topic of concern for security professionals since 2008. Gone are the days where the primary theft is being perpetrated by the sociopath lone-wolf in the basement. The major player is now organized crime, responsible for 70 percent of online fraud and billions in ill-gotten gains…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/01/faas-the-emergence-of-fraud-as-a-service/Fraud as a service or FaaS for the acronym collectors, has been a topic of concern for... more
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Scammers will say and do anything to get a person to part with their money. At first they had a sob story that sounded like a legitimate issue, new housing, can’t have a pet. When posted in a classified ad, it looks legitimate. Then they involved a “shipping company” that was a front for the scam. Once the victims were asked to send money via Western Union, that should have been a red-flag.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/02/01/pet-lovers-are-target-of-latest-online-scams/Scammers will say and do anything to get a person to part with their money. At first... more
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Are you embracing the collaboration phenomenon that has been storming, complete with thunder, lightning and rain over the past few years? Or have you been hiding under an umbrella to avoid this social media storm? Yes, we are all interconnected, whether we want to be, are expected to be, or prefer not to be. We are, as they say in poker, all in, as collaboration is here to stay ― and it’s driven by technology…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/01/27/technology-drives-new-age-of-collaboration/Are you embracing the collaboration phenomenon that has been storming, complete with... more
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We are observing an incredible rise in cybercrime. New profiles of attackers arrived in the so-called hacking underground, and the hacking world – sometimes – is meeting with organized crime and State-sponsored attacks. The world is changing and, basically, the keyword is the information. In today’s world Information is the Power that’s the sole reason why all of this is happening.
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/01/25/un-crime-justice-institute-fights-hackers/We are observing an incredible rise in cybercrime. New profiles of attackers arrived... more
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Advancements in technology over the past decade have created a tremendous amount of opportunity for the savvy businessperson. Whether it’s mobility, streamlined processes, marketing, or the ability to sell to a global market, there’s never been a better time to be in business. Like anything good, there is always a negative…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/01/24/enterprise-identity-theft-risks-for-2010/Advancements in technology over the past decade have created a tremendous amount of... more
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It came as a surprise to me when I went to log into my FriendFeed account to make an adjustment and I discovered I was logged into someone-else’s account. I had FULL access. I was able to access the full dashboard and change the picture, email associated and add or delete feeds. My first thoughts were that I have spyware and someone is able to remotely access my machine and use it as their own. I did a full system scan and there is nothing on my machine. There is no other strange activity going on so I’ve narrowed the issue down to this one account…
http://information-security-resources.com/2010/01/21/social-networks-logging-into-wrong-account/It came as a surprise to me when I went to log into my FriendFeed account to make an... more
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