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.

Comments

 

Other News

Saksham Skill census identifies 22,000 job-ready candidates in one Mumbai ward

A first-of-its-kind AI-enabled skill census conducted in Mumbai`s H-West Ward has identified a potential livelihood pipeline of nearly 22,000 candidates, generated over 32,000 provisional job matches while revealing that 71.2 per cent of surveyed homemakers are willing to join the workforce, according to

GI tags: Scaling traditional wealth into global brands

Geographical Indication (GI) tags have emerged as a powerful tool for protecting India`s cultural heritage, while creating economic opportunities for local communities. By linking products to their place of origin, GI tags preserve traditional knowledge, prevent misuse, and enhance consumer trust. They h

BMC: 207 officials in ACB net, 112 still on duty, 68 retire before justice catches up

There are significant delays in the handling of corruption cases involving officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a Right to Information (RTI) response obtained by rights activist Jeetendra Ghadge has revealed. As of 30 April 2026, 207 BMC officials face Anti-Corruption Bureau (A

The transformation trap: Why efficiency is not innovation

Every company is transforming, or so it claims.   There was a time when the word ‘transformation’ carried weight. It signified bold strategic shifts, reinvention of business models, and breakthrough technologies that fundamentally changed how organizations created

The Sardar biography that throws light on our times

Patel: A Life By Rajmohan Gandhi Aleph Books, 568 pages, Rs 1,199   There are many biographi

Climate change, El Niño rewrite Indian monsoon

The month of July exceeded its rainfall target despite forecasts of a below-normal month under a strengthening El Niño. The reason could be that climate change is amplifying monsoon complexity: West Pacific warming, Western Disturbances and evolving ocean conditions increasingly interact with El Ni&

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter