Social media has become a tool of terror and fear, says CIA chief

US computer system under constant cyber attacks from all over the world

GN Bureau | March 14, 2015


#the us   #cia   #Pakistan   #india   #social media   #isis   #terror   #terrorist  

Nobody knows better about terror than this organization and one should take note when it talks. CIA Director John Brennan has said that changing technology and social media websites have “greatly amplified” the security threats facing the free world.

To illustrate his point he said that the Islamic State group, for example, uses new technologies to “coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda, and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name.”  Brennan was speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“The overall threat of terrorism is greatly amplified by today’s interconnected world, where an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away; and where a lone extremist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home,” he said.

The CIA director said that the Sunni radical terror group has grown to roughly 20,000 fighters from more than 90 countries.

Brennan revealed that the US government computer networks are under assault every day from foreign governments, terrorists and hackers of all stripes. He said America's adversaries are "skilled, agile and determined" and matching them will require focus and imagination — from government and private industry. Last week, Brennan created a new cyber unit at the CIA. Intelligence community considers cyber threats a greater risk to national security than terrorism.

Meanwhile, the State Department said on Friday it was temporarily shutting down Internet service on its unclassified computer network to clean up malware and boost defenses against cyberattacks. The network was breached in November and malware was said to have been inserted by hackers. The department refused to confirm published reports that Russia's government is behind the hackers.

The CIA chief also classified Pakistan along with Iraq, Syria and North Korea as global hotspots and these countries pose strategic and tactical challenges to policy makers.

"Developments in a host of countries across the globe are raising strategic and tactical challenges for policymakers and our Agency,"Brennan said, referring to countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, North Korea and Pakistan.

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