Tag: ISIS

In this first part in a series outlining the violently evolving middle east, this essay written by Defense-Analyst David Eshel covers the evolution of Da'ish (aka ISIS, ISIL) from the collapse of Iraq, by operation 'Iraqi Freedom' and the chaos triggered by President Obama's Middle East 'Arab Spring' campaign of 2009.

In this edition: #OpSaveAlAqsa is new cyber-attack campaign against Israel | Israeli Trojan Horse Scam | Postal service hit by cyber-attack; US suspects China | Russia needs funds to support domestic software development | NATO helps Jordan fend off ISIL cyber threat | Vietnam increasing cyber cooperation | China, Japan, and Republic of Korea hold cyber security meeting in Beijing | UK signs agreement with Qatar to fight Jihad and cyber threats | Germany developing cyber intelligence capabilities | Was Warsaw Stock Exchange breached by ISIS criminals?

In this edition: Israel Defense Forces C4I command capabilities were great force during Protective Edge operation | US hackers targeted White House | Jewish temple in Florida targeted in worldwide pro-ISIS cyber-attack | Russia close to information security agreement with China | ISIS closes different cyber platforms to avoid attacks| China blames US for disrupted cybersecurity talks | Azerbaijan and Lithuania discussing cyber cooperation | Cyber crooks masquerade as army generals | South Africa government announced new committee to combat cyber threats | UK: Fifty per cent of population fall victim to cybercrime

Fierce fighting between Islamic State and Syrian Kurdish forces again battered the Syrian town of Kobani, as coalition forces continue their strikes in support of the Kurds.

In this edition: IDF building new cloud-base infrastructure | Apple updates iOS after major hack on iCloud | NetScout to acquire communications business of Danaher Corp and expand cyber intelligence expertise | Russia will not give government full power over Internet | Jordan to open cybercrime centre in Amman | Qatar is third most targeted country in cyber threats and attacks | Anonymous hacker group launches cyber war against Islamic State militants | Chinese Army calling to strengthen domestic cyber security software media | Cyber criminals target Africa’s food and beverage sector | Zambia hosted first Cyber security drill | Ethiopia to Host Second Annual Cyber Security Africa’s Banking & ICT Summit 2014 | London Metropolitan Police launched anti-fraud cybercrime unit | Estonian to launch first e-residency card

In this edition: Israel establishing new national cyber defense authority| More cyber revelations post Operation Protective Edge | USCYBERCOM to recruit 6,000 cyber professionals and create 133 teams across the country | Russia wants to disconnect the ".ru" from interconnected web | ISIS and Al-Qaida looking for cyber Caliphate to launch attacks on US| New Qatari Cyber Law threatens freedom | Singapore organized 23rd GovernmentWare infocom security exhibition | Multinational cyber security drills | Australia's Department of Finance drafts cyber security clauses defining service providers’ responsibilities when managing cyber security risks | UK to launch real-time cyber threat alert system for banks in 2015 | French Information Systems Security Agency strengthening its cyber defense

Busy day in Syria - US Air Force stealth fighters, bombers and drones, along with Navy Super Hornets and cruise missiles pound the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in East Syria; Israel shoot down a Syrian Su-24 that penetrates its airspace over the Golan Heights; Syrian launch air strikes target at rebels in the northwest Syria and in Damascus suburbs

French Rafale jet fighters struck a suspected Islamic State target in Iraq for the first time yesterday, (Friday, Sept. 19) expanding a U.S.-led military campaign against ISIS. The French Rafales hit "a logistics depot of the terrorists" near the city of Mosul.

A U.S. air strike near Mosul on Thursday (Sept. 18, 2014) killed 40 Islamic State militants near a terrorist training camp, according to a senior Defense Department official. The attack involved a single B-1 bomber. Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, fell to militants in June.

While its forces are facing growing pressure in the North, ISIS has increased its attacks on Baghdad last week, rippling mortar fires and suicide bombings at several targets in the Iraqi capital, in a move to relieve the pressure it is facing as a result of the recent U.S. air campaign targeting its positions, comments Ahmed Ali, the Iraq Team Lead at ISW.

analysts at the Institute for the Studies of War say, "perhaps as many as 25,000 ground troops in all in Iraq and Syria”. Although in roles very different from those they played in Iraq between 2003 and 2011, the decisive effort will require primarily teams of Special Forces and special mission units, deployed in a dispersed footprint throughout the Sunni lands, as well as advising the Iraqi Security Forces and the moderate Syrian opposition.

In this edition: Behind Israel's cyber battle of Operation Protective Edge | Iranian cyber offense during Operation Protective Edge | Qatari technology helps Hamas build sophisticated cyber systems to attack Israel | Hackers related to ISIS took down Sony PlayStation's network | Major cyber-attack against United States banks | Most cyber-attacks targeting Western Europe come from Russia | Budget cuts increase Australian cyber-security risks |Hacker targets info on MH370 probe | Ecuador is latest country to face cyber-espionage campaign | UK Ministry of Defense launching £2 million cyber defense project | Germany working on cyber security law to protect critical infrastructure | South Africa has the third highest number of cyber crime victims after Russia and China | Kenya urges concerted efforts to fight crime

Although the IDF’s abilities to handle the rocket and attack tunnel threats have garnered most of the attention during the latest campaign in the Gaza Strip, it is now clear that Israel was also forced to confront cyber challenges during Operation Protective Edge. More specifically, in the course of the campaign Iranian elements launched a widespread cyber offensive against Israeli targets, including attempts to damage security and financial networks. While these attempts were neutralized relatively easily and quickly by Israeli cyber defenses, it seems that Iran is investing heavily in the development of effective offensive capabilities against infrastructure systems, and might present a serious challenge to Israeli defenses within the foreseeable future.

AQAP militants execute 14 soldiers in Hadarmout, amid sectarian fighting in Yeme | Overloaded Iraqi Mi-17 crash on a rescue mission to Sinjar | West provide air support, sending arms, advisors to assist Iraqi Kurds | ISIL regain grip of Deir el-Zor rural area in East Syria | US conducts air strikes against ISIL near Erbil | White House authorise humanitarian support to Iraqi minorities, air strikes targeting ISIS | US missile cruiser enroute to the Black Sea | 40,000 stranded on Sinjar mountain under ISIS death threats | France to speed up arms for Lebanon | Pakistan air strikes hit militants in Datta-khel, North Waziristan | US general killed by Afghan 'insider attack' | Egypt, Algeria align against Libyan extremists | 32 Strike Tunnels Destroyed in Gaza | Lebanon: ISIS Takes the town of Ersal | AQAP jihadists kill 9 Yemeni soldiers | Two Terror attacks rock Jerusalem | Iraqi Air Force to assist Kurds fighting ISIS | 23 Syrians killed by barrel bombs in Idlib