ISIS Hacks Syria Observatory for Human Rights Website
Syria Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) website was taken down by Islamic State hackers–ISIL Takfiri–on July 8, 2015. The ISIS linked hackers immediately claimed responsibility while providing details of their activity on the site, reported ibtimes. The hackers left behind a photo-shopped threat to Rami Abdel Rahman, the current director of SOHR.
Rahman who is based in the UK confirmed the hack stating that the hackers had managed to reach the website’s servers and corrupt the information. He however noted that the Observatory’s work would continue without much interruption despite the attack as most of the damaged data was available in copies.
He added that the Observatory would use social media to post to its audience as a solution is being sought. Press TV quoted him saying “We have a copy of all the information that has been published and until the site is back up, we will publish on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.”
Life Threats
Apart from acknowledging the hack, ISIL Takfiri hackers left a threat on Rami Abdel Rahman life posted on the site. The front page of the hacked site had been replaced with an image showing Rami Abdel Rahman in an orange prison jumpsuit kneeling and an ISIS executioner standing blade in hand apparently about to execute him. The photo which had the face of Rahman superimposed on the body of an ISIS prisoner was taken British authorities to serve as a threat according to Press TV.
The hackers acknowledged the hack under the image “Cyber Army of the Khilafah broke into the computer systems of SOHR … seized control of its website, destroying it, and wiping out the data,” as reported by ibtimes citing Press TV.
Woes of the Authorities
ISIL affiliates have carried out similar attacks toward other websites since the onset of the Syrian War in March 2011.
FBI director James Comey noted that the current attacks are bound to get worse if the authorities are continuously denied access to encrypted communications. He added that the FBI and other United States law enforcement agencies have tools that are relatively ineffective to these nature of attacks, ibtimes reported citing Reuters.
The director noted that ISIS sympathizers had been effectively curbed for the time being but long term solutions to the problem were yet to be identified. While addressing the Senate Select Committee he noted that at least 200 US citizens and 7000 Soviet nationals had taken off to fight for the extremists.
Several random hackers have in the past pledged allegiance to ISIS. French authorities while investigating the Cyber Caliphate hacks noted that there lacked technical connections to prove the hacker’s claims.
In spite of this, the US State Department warned that ISIS has a strong online presence as it has been reported to have about 46,000 Twitter accounts both in use by the supporters and perpetrators of the movement, reported Kim Komando.
To this end, Comey noted that with status of a criminal movement, law enforcement agencies ought to be granted more legal power to fight ISIS and all its known affiliates such as ISIL Takfiri.
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