“Rather, the real danger of ISIS’s cyber arm is keeping up the flow of global recruitment to ISIS ranks, and even worse spurring individuals amongst their audience to initiate lone wolf style attacks.”
On analyzing the downward progression of the Islamic State’s position on the battlefield over the past several months, observers expressed concern that ISIS resources would be refocused from the physical sphere to the cyber arena.
Recent reports from Capitol Hill seem to confirm that this fear is becoming a reality.
In a recent statement during a senatorial hearing, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis) joined a number of lawmakers raising alarm over the Islamic State in Iraq, and Syria’s (ISIS) success in leveraging digital platforms as an efficient tool for recruitment and spreading the group’s radical propaganda.
While recognizing the progress made in destroying “the physical caliphate,” Johnson stated that “we have in no way, shape or form denied them the cyber caliphate.”
The danger in the “cyber caliphate” formed by ISIS loyal groups like United Cyber Caliphate (UCC) and Cyber Caliphate Army (CCA), does not lie in their ability to execute sophisticated cyberattacks against Western assets or individuals. While ISIS’s cyber warriors may want to see themselves as jihadist hackers, they can hardly be considered capable cyber criminals.
Their attacks have consisted of defaming websites and causing minor disruptions on web services, actions that are more like “internet graffiti” then an actual hack.
Rather, the real danger of ISIS’s cyber arm is keeping up the flow of global recruitment to ISIS ranks, and even worse spurring individuals amongst their audience to initiate lone wolf style attacks.
This important perspective was voiced recently by several top intelligence officials.
Lora Shiao, acting director for intelligence at the National Counterterrorism Center, stated before a Senate committee earlier this week that “the terrorist landscape we face today involves more threats in more places from more terrorist actors than at any time in the past 16 years” due to the group’s ability to diversify recruitment sources and draw support through online channels.
During the same session, FBI Deputy Assistant Director for Counterterrorism Nikki Floris elaborated on Shiao’s point, stating that “no group has been as successful at drawing people into its perverse message as ISIS.” Floris emphasized that ISIS “uses high-quality traditional media platforms, as well as widespread social media campaigns” to efficiently proliferate its extremism.
What is really quite remarkable to observe is the parallel trends of both the US government and ISIS investing more heavily in their cyber assets. From the institution of US Cyber Command in August, to a more recent program of the Army to recruit civilian cyber professionals, it is clear that America is incorporating cyber in a more prominent way into its global strategy.
To be sure, there are other factors driving this trend. For one, the investment in cyber is simply an indication of the explosion in the growth of information technology and cyber tools.
There is no doubt though, that the spreading of extremism online is a major threat driving the expansion of US cyber capabilities. As Director Shiao included in her statement, social media companies and other forum administrators “are very challenged” in policing their platforms. The government will have to step in if there is hope of curtailing this growing danger.
