Is Now A Cyber Watershed For ISIS?

Is Now A Cyber Watershed For ISIS?

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The cyberattack on TalkTalk, a telecommunications company in Britain, could be a watershed moment in Islamic State’s (Isis) cyberwar against the West, cybersecurity experts have warned.

The identity of the hackers is unknown, but the group who took responsibility of the attack wrote an online message claiming that the attack was done in the name of Allah, and some fear these hackers have something to do with ISIS. If it turns out to be true, this would be the first substantial cyber attack by hackers associated with the organization and it might suggest that ISIS is becoming a meaningful cyber threat. It could also mean the TalkTalk hack could be the first in a wave of major breaches.

“Historically, Islamic State has not had a great deal of technical savvy,” Cameron Brown, a leading cybersecurity expert, told IBTimes UK. “However, they have consistently showed an interest in this area and have made minor waves in the past, mostly for the purpose of propaganda. It would be a watershed moment if it was indeed them who carried out the TalkTalk hack, as there has never been solid evidence that they have these sorts of capabilities.”

The problem is that currently, it is difficult to day who exactly had something to do with the attack, and a thorough investigation is being conducted regarding this issue. Brown noted that while the details may be genuine, this did not necessarily mean the group posting had carried out the cyberattack that compromised TalkTalk. The customer details are likely to have already found their way on to the dark web, where credit card details and other valuable information could be sold to the highest bidder. “Islamic State’s whole propaganda machine is geared towards generating publicity,” Brown said. “They may well have obtained access from others to claim involvement.”

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