funsec mailing list archives
Re: Cyber Vigilantes Track Extremist Web Sites, Intelligence Experts Balk at Effort
From: Paperghost <paperghost () vitalsecurity org>
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:10:04 +0100
“It is very unlikely they will find something of significance in the Internet that the government doesn’t already know," Radu said. "They are redundant at best.” If there's nothing of note on the websites being shutdown due to the Government already knowing the information on there, then I don't really see the problem with the cyber vigilantes lessening their supposed "burden" by reducing the total number of sites they have to sift through. In fact, if they're aware of so many useless websites, it could be asked why they themselves haven't had the sites shut down before the "vigilantes" do it first. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,340613,00.html MIAMI, Fla. - While the debate grows on how to tackle global jihadism on the Internet, some security experts warn that "cyber vigilantes" - people who track and help shut down terror-related Web sites - are compromising government investigations with their amateur sleuthing tactics. Michael Radu, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and an expert on terror-related Web sites, said the government is already overburdened trying to monitor the thousands of sites on the Web believed to contain radical Muslim messages. These cyber vigilantes, he said, are not helping. "It is very unlikely they will find something of significance in the Internet that the government doesn't already know," Radu said. "They are redundant at best." Cyber vigilantes typically troll the Internet, searching message boards, Web sites and media sharing sites for incendiary postings from people with ties to terror groups like Al Qaeda. Using Arabic translation software, they monitor postings and even assume fake identities to join online conversations. One of them is Bill Warner, a Sarasota, Fla.-based private investigator and a self-proclaimed cyber-crusader. Just last month alone, Warner was instrumental in helping shut down three Web sites hosted by a Tampa Internet service provider (ISP) that contained text, images and video related to attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. ... _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list. _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
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- Re: Cyber Vigilantes Track Extremist Web Sites, Intelligence Experts Balk at Effort Paperghost (Mar 22)