It was way back in 1997 the LTTE hacked into Sheffield University computer system to send their propaganda for fund raising. This was done so covertly with the legitimate user IDs and passwords of some academics of the university.
One year later, the LTTE swamped a specific number of Sri Lankan missions abroad with nearly 1000 e-mails a day over a period of two-weeks.
LTTE in fact admitted the offence stating in the Email that " Internet Black Tigers are doing this to disrupt communications."
Wikipedia defines Cyber-terrorism as use of computers and information technology, particularly the Internet, to cause harm or severe disruption to others with the aim of advancing attacker's own political or religious goals. This implies that individuals or groups can use the anonymity afforded by cyberspace to threaten citizens, specific groups, communities and entire countries.
This definition does not seem to cover the subject area adequately. A better definition is offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They specify that “cyber terrorism is the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against non combatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents.”
Literature also suggests that ‘terrorists may be classified as cyber terrorists whether they solely rely on cyber terrorism to further their cause, or whether they use cyber terrorism in addition to other more conventional forms of terrorism’. That completes both definitions as Cyber terrorism has become a real threat because of a) its own sophistication and dynamics, b) dependence of financial institutions, production facilities, and government functions on computer technology and c) the vulnerability of economies that are increasingly dependent on electronic transactions.
Some argue that the term cyber terrorism simply does not exist because the worst that can happen on the computer is information warfare and hacking which could be classified as a crime and not terrorism. The terrorism label is said to be inappropriately heavy due to its improbability of creating fear of real physical harm or death among people using electronic means.
The need arose to define cyber terrorism with hate websites and hate emails, intrusion into sensitive computer networks gaining momentum. In order to deal with this global phenomenon of the abuse of computers and the Internet, an international convention, backed by national legislations, was needed.
In a case where in 1996, a computer hacker allegedly associated with the White Supremacist movement successfully disabled a US based Internet Service Provider and temporarily damaged part of its record keeping system. This was not identified as cyber terrorism as the intention of the attacker was not to further any political, social, religious, ideological goal.
In 1998, Institute for Global Communications (IGC) was bombarded with thousands of bogus e-mail messages sent by protestors against IGC’s hosting of the web-site for the Euskal Herria Journal supporting Basque independence. IGC had to give in and pull the site. This was considered an act of terrorism as the normal activities of the ISP in cyber space had been disrupted by using a pre planned methodology and the intention of the attackers was to further a political objective.
‘Cyber Terrorism and Information Warfare’ authored by Michael Vatis sheds light to cyber terrorism from Governments’ perspective. One is to use the system for disseminating propaganda. LTTE is one organisation that uses the information and cyber technology for dissemination of propaganda. Vatis says the Internet is used for fund raising. Once again the LTTE is leading in that. Internet transactions are found to be much easier for some members of Diaspora to contribute.
Intelligence gathering is another use in cyber technology. To what extent the LTTE is using cyber technology for intelligence gathering, such as hacking individual electronic mail and entering classified data bases etc, is not ascertained, not because it is not important, it is because there are no avenues to tap such information. Hacking has become technically possible and all that the hacker has to do is to download onto computers automated hacking scripts. And one needs is to put in a target, click on a button, and launch the automated script against your intended target or list of targets.
Vatis says ‘terrorists can communicate with their co-conspirators around the world’. Indeed so and the cost would be minimal. Communication is effective. The communication is well secured ‘outside the eyes and ears of government, law enforcement, or security agencies’. LTTE is one group that has exploited this global facility to its utmost.
But how big is the LTTE cyber threat?. This is not assessed. What is known is that LTTE has used cyber attacks on Sri Lankan government sites and also to hack into web sites to alter and send political propaganda. Some people refer to that as the first known instance of cyber-terrorism. But the facts are still far from knowledge as to how much they are using the cyber space for their own development.
The study ‘ E-fying terrorism’ carried out by Ranga Kalansooriya in 2004 was aimed at identifying the electronic face of terrorist and politically violent groups and to evaluate the campaign strategies that they have adopted through their e-outlets.
Kalansooriya described in his study how rebels who were fighting in the jungles or deserts, brought battle into the cyber world. He elaborated that ‘technology has always been a tool of advantage for terrorism since its inception, and the internet – Information Technology (IT) in particular – added new dimension to their strategies, tactics and operations’.
He identified that organizations such as Zapatista of Mexico and LTTE of Sri Lanka as local rebel groups with international reach and they have a significant presence on Internet with the aims of propaganda and fund raising. LTTE in particular, expanded its campaign into the World Wide Web during the very inception of the IT boom. LTTE naturally caters to international audiences including the ethnic Diaspora community.
Kalansooriya’s study brings out the point that contents of rebel websites will never admit that they are engaged in ‘terrorism’ or violence against unarmed civilians. Instead the propaganda will justify as it is the only available option to ‘liberate their peoples from the oppression. ‘ E-fying terrorism’ study when completed in 2004, had predicted that LTTE will be in full force on the web with dozes of websites, supported by other sympathetic and individual web pages catering to the Diaspora and their home countries.
The Sri Lankan Government eventually realised the extent of cyber threat of the LTTE, but any possible counter strategy and methodologies had fallen way short of requirement. LTTE activities have always been driven by commitment while the Government has no such aptitude.
Prof Jeganathan of the University of Chicago, referring to the Tamil Diaspora and Eelam websites stated that these websites "preserve the form of the nation as territory for the LTTE and those who want to believe in its mission". He said that the Pro LTTE Tamil viewers whether they are in the US or in Australia, the Eelam is real, not as a place but as an image although they have no intention of returning to Sri Lanka.
That is the key appoint and the strength that LTTE will carry for the next few decades with or without Prabhakaran. Pro LTTE Tamils argued that propaganda cannot be considered cyber terrorism as politically, each group has a right to express its appeals whoever they are targeting their propaganda at. Such propaganda will invariably have a provision for fund raising.
The anti LTTE factions are trying hard to express the way LTTE is using cyber space and recently accused Pottu Amman for launching sites including www.nitharsanam.com to put out threats, intimidations, hate e-mails, spam, and viruses. They also complain that LTTE operatives exert pressure on the web hosting companies in Europe and North America with the threat that court action will be taken if anti-LTTE stories are not removed.
It is reported that LTTE’s websites nitharsanam, neruppu etc are registered with go-daddy. This company has responded to the complaints stating that they are not expected to judge the alleged illegal activities. This could be true as there is only a thin line between propaganda and disinformation which the legislators can hardly fathom out.
LTTE is using the cyber system for networking among their fronts and cover organisations. The efficiency and cost saving on cyber networking has been immense. Procurement by the KP department has been heavily dependent upon cyber communication that always operate beyond detection.
Nonetheless the LTTE will continue to believe in bullets than bytes. For LTTE the cyber communication has been complementary to their primary activities. It is unlikely therefore that LTTE will resort to high scale acts that can be theoretically identifid as cyber-terrorism as they have attempted in the past.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2006/05/11/opinion/01.asp)
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