FBI Director says ISIS Could Cyberattack the US

mcrep1.jpg

ISIS is “waking up” to the idea of using sophisticated malware to cyberattack critical infrastructure in the US, FBI Director James Comey said recently.
“Logic tells me it’s coming,” and that the terror group is “looking into” whether it is capable of pulling off such attacks, Comey said at the Cybersecurity Law Institute at Georgetown University. 
Islamic terrorists are, as Comey says, stoking alarm with threats of an all-out cyber crusade against the United States, and experts say the warnings should be taken seriously.
Hackers claiming affiliation with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a video recently vowing an “electronic war” against the United States and Europe and claiming access to “American leadership” online.
“Praise to Allah, today we extend on the land and in the Internet,” a faceless, hooded figure said in Arabic. “We send this message to America and Europe: we are the hackers of the Islamic State and the electronic war has not yet begun.”

Over the last two years, Comey said there has been more attention paid to potential cyberattacks against the US, and although he hasn’t seen them yet, “it just makes too much sense” to see destructive malware end up in the hands of terrorists.
Comey pointed to a “layer cake” of threats, with nation-states at the top and common criminals at the bottom. The threat of terror groups adopting cyber tactics usual carried about by China or North Korea is most concerning, he said.
“Destructive malware is a bomb. And terrorists want bombs” Comey said. And while it may be difficult for a terrorist to physically enter the US, they can do so online in an instant.
Comey also discussed the struggle of curbing the influence of ISIS on the Internet, calling social media “the intersection where cyber and counterterrorism merge.” Admiral Mike Rogers, the head of US Cyber Command, commented that a shift by ISIS of using cyber capabilities not just for recruitment but as a weapons system is a “great concern” to the National Security Agency.
The FBI is also seeing an increase in the encryption of operational communications between terrorists and potential recruits online. Despite a court order that would allow investigators to obtain devices and view communications, many of those communications have moved to encrypted platforms that hinder them from reading.
While Comey feels that there are societal benefits when it comes to encryption and the privacy of citizens online, the costs can leave intelligence communities with less information to stop a potential terror plot, or what is referred to by the FBI as “going dark.” This has led to a “collision,” according to Comey, where authorities have to balance the “important interest in privacy and important interest in public safety.”
Fox News:  http://bit.ly/1FHWKks

« UK Rewrites Hacking Laws to Give GCHQ Immunity
Cyber Crime on a Global Scale »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

NordLayer

NordLayer

NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. 

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: What Is A Next-Generation Firewall (and why does it matter)

ON-DEMAND WEBINAR: What Is A Next-Generation Firewall (and why does it matter)

On-Demand Webinar - Hear security experts from SANS and AWS break down the myths and realities of what an NGFW is and what one can do for your security posture.

Practice Labs

Practice Labs

Practice Labs is an IT competency hub, where live-lab environments give access to real equipment for hands-on practice of essential cybersecurity skills.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

FDM Group

FDM Group

FDM Group is an international Professional services company with a focus on IT. Services offered include Software Testing, and Information Security with a focus on operational security and compliance.

Secure Recruiting International (SRI)

Secure Recruiting International (SRI)

SRI is an industry leader in Information Security , Networking, Wireless and Storage recruitment.

National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) - Sweden

National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) - Sweden

The National Defence Radio Establishment (Försvarets Radioanstalt), is the Swedish national authority for Signals Intelligence, also providing Information assurance services to government authorities.

HyTrust

HyTrust

HyTrust specialises in security, compliance and control software for virtualization and cloud environments.

Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber-Physical Systems (RBCCPS)

Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber-Physical Systems (RBCCPS)

RBCCPS is an interdisciplinary research and academic centre within the Indian Institute of Science focused on research in cyber-physical systems.

Cube 5

Cube 5

The Cube 5 incubator, located at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security (HGI), supports IT security startups and people interested in starting a business in IT security.

Gluu

Gluu

Modern Authentication for Digital Enterprise. Organizations around the world trust Gluu for large-scale, high-security identity & access management.

Rhino Security Labs

Rhino Security Labs

Rhino Security Labs is a top penetration testing and security assessment firm, with a focus on cloud pentesting, network pentesting, web application pentesting, and phishing.

Switchfast Technologies

Switchfast Technologies

Switchfast Technologies is an IT consulting and managed services provider, offering IT support and consulting to Chicagoland small businesses.

Cybots Pte Ltd

Cybots Pte Ltd

Cybots is a multinational cyber defence brand founded in Singapore in 2018 to help organizations stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threats from cyber criminals.

North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC)

North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC)

The North West Cyber Resilience Centre is a trusted, not-for-profit venture between Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Digital.

Accops Systems

Accops Systems

Accops enables secure and instant remote access to business applications from any device and network, ensuring compliant enterprise mobility.

Mode Solutions

Mode Solutions

Mode guarantee IT performance where you need it most, creating seamless and secure solutions that will alleviate pressure from your business.

Secfix

Secfix

Secfix helps companies get secure and compliant in weeks instead of months. We are on a mission to automate security and compliance for small and medium-sized businesses.

HIFENCE

HIFENCE

HIFENCE delivers cybersecurity and networking services that make your company safer and more secure. That’s all we do, so you can concentrate on all the things that you do best.

Gogolook

Gogolook

Gogolook is a leading TrustTech company. With "Build for Trust" as its core value, it aims to create an AI- and data-driven global anti-fraud network as well as Risk Management as a Service.