News and information on the misuse of technology for political reasons.
Politically motivated computer crime covers a wide range of activity promoting the objectives of individuals, groups or nations supporting a variety of causes such as: Anti-globalization, trans-national conflicts and protest.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko announced new legislation that:

"...would require the registration and identification of all online publications and of each Web user, including visitors to Internet cafes. Web service providers would have to report this information to police, courts and special services."

In a stunning admission, the U.S. military confirmed that Iraqi insurgents have intercepted video streams from Predator Drones [emphasis added]:

"Shiite fighters in Iraq used off-the-shelf software programs ... available for as little as $25.95 on the Internet — to regularly capture drone video feeds, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The hacking was possible because the remotely flown planes have an unprotected communications link."

"...in December 2008, the military apprehended a Shiite militant in Iraq whose laptop contained files of intercepted drone video feeds, the Journal reported. In July, they found pirated feeds on other militant laptops, leading some officials to conclude that groups trained and funded by Iran were regularly intercepting feeds and sharing them with multiple extremist groups."

Even more incredulous is the admission that the system was not originally designed to encrypt transmissions:

"The military has known about the vulnerability for more than a decade, but assumed adversaries would not be able to exploit it."

This is a classic, textbook example of inadequate security design and risk assessments - the root causes of most security issues in both the public and private sector.

What should be more alarming is, if this vulnerability has been there for more than a decade, who else (with better resources) had access to the feeds and what other vulnerabilities exist in other systems that are not being addressed?

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Like many modern political opposition groups, Iranian protesters make extensive use of social networks and other Internet services to plan and coordinate protest activity:

"The opposition, which relies on the Web and cell phone service to organize rallies and get its message out, has vowed to hold rallies Monday, the first anti-government show of force in a month."

Likewise, governments may target these communications as a means to limit protests. Reports are alleging the Iranian Government is restricting Internet and mobile phone services to limit opposition communications prior to planned protests:

"Internet connections in the capital, Tehran, have been slow or completely down since Saturday. Blocking Internet access and cell phone 'service has been one of the routine methods employed by the authorities to undermine the opposition in recent months.

"The government has not publicly acknowledged it is behind the outages, but Iran's Internet service providers say the problem is not on their end and is not a technical glitch. A day or two after the demonstrations, cell phone and Internet service is restored."

About Kent Anderson

Kent Anderson has more than 24 years of experience in security and is Managing Director of Encurve, LLC.
Mr. Anderson is a recognized expert on security and politically motivated computer crime and has been quoted by numerous publications including the Washington Post, WSJ, CNN, AP, Reuters, USA Today, LA Business Daily, Singapore Business Times, Danish National Radio and the BBC.
He has held positions as Senior VP of IT Security and Investigations with an international risk consultancy, as Director of Analysis & Investigations with PwC and as the European Info Security Manager for Digital Equipment Corporation.
He has provided assistance to law enforcement and government agencies including the FBI, US Secret Service, DoD, DoJ, FLETC, Scotland Yard, The German BKA, the Russian MVD and Norwegian, Danish and Swiss police. He provided consulting to OECD on international harmonization of computer crime laws and the British Parliament on the development of the UK’s Computer Misuse Act.
Mr. Anderson is a Certified Information Security Manager. He has served on Motorola’s Research Visionary Board for Security, and ISACA’s Security Management Advisory Board.