Terrorists exploit social media

International terrorist organisations are focusing their activity on social media platforms, according to a recent study.

Hackers invading databases “is just the tip of the iceberg” in online terrorist activity, warns professor Gabriel Weimann, of the University of Haifa, who carried out the study. He adds that a number of Facebook groups are asking users to join and support Hezbollah, Hamas and other armed groups that have been included in the West's list of declared terror organisations.

“Today, about 90% of organised terrorism on the Internet is being carried out through the social media. By using these tools, the organisations are able to be active in recruiting new friends without geographical limitations.”

Weimann's findings are based on a 10-year study of public Internet sites of terrorist groups and terrorist sympathisers, forums, video clips, and other online information relating to global terrorism.

Weimann explains that terrorist organisations are aware of the shift to social media. He argues that these organisations are exploiting Facebook's popularity. Apart from recruiting new friends, these groups use Facebook as a resource for gathering intelligence. He adds that countries including the US, Canada and the UK have instructed their soldiers to remove personal information from the social media site as a precaution in case Al Qaeda is monitoring it.

According to Weimann, terrorist organisations also use social media sites to share “professional” information. For example, he says, a discussion on how to make an explosive to blow up a military jeep was found on an open, non-coded forum belonging to Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

According to Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, social networks have become the most convenient, direct and reliable ways to make contact with large numbers of people. “The added bonus for terrorists is that they can vet their prospects and get a good sense of whether they share the kind of mindless fanaticism required for the job.”

He explains that social media makes a recruiter's job a lot easier, because they do not have to seek out recruits in person. “It provides huge benefits in terms of both reducing personal risk and increasing potential reach.”

Weimann argues that Facebook has emerged as a great place to gain intelligence. “Many users don't even bother finding out who they are confirming as a 'Friend' and to whom they are providing access to a large amount of information on their personal life.”

According to Goldstuck, users are vulnerable in so far as they are gullible.

Weimann points out that the terrorists are able to create false profiles that enable them to get into highly visible groups, while Goldstuck warns that criminals are able to gain access to databases or individuals' log-in details and “exploit those for their own purposes”.