It ’s kind of the old magic in the book . Catfishing is where you pretend to be someone you ’re not online so that you’re able to pull a fast one on someone else into doing something . And based on a new reputation , this is exactly how pro - Assad hackers have been robbing intel from opposition forces : They ’ve beenposing as hot girls on Skypeand slip battle plan from the Syrian Johnny Reb United States Army .
The security research business firm FireEye just published the details of a years - tenacious investigation called “ Behind the Syrian Conflict ’s Digital Frontlines . ” The report trace how pro - Assad forces used catfishing method acting to establish malware on the phones and data processor of Syrian Johnny Reb , and then carry on to slip at least 7.7 G deserving of information from some 12,356 contacts in at least eight countries . That ’s a lot of information .
The operation voice almost surgical . The hackers would create faux profiles on Skype or Facebook that included a country - appropriate name and a “ femme fatale ” avatar . They ’d then initiate touch and rapidly find out if the victim was using a smartphone or a computer , bed this would enable them to send the right-hand malware .
After developing a resonance with the victim through small talk , they ’d ask to swap photos :
HACKER : Are you opening it on your Mobile River ?
IMAN : Computer and mobile
IMAN : … What is your particular date of birth ?
HACKER : 10 - 3 - 88
IMAN : Lololol
IMAN : 10 - 3 - 89 …… .
TARGET : What a nice coincidence
TARGET : [ air File New-Imam-Picture.pif ]
surprisal ! The hacker ’s photo is a fake , and it ’s full of malware that gave attacker full access to the victim ’s information processing system , including valuable military intelligence . ( Apparently , Syrian freedom fighter forces would keep pic of battle plans on their telephone and laptop . ) What kinds of intel ? All variety :
Sometimes , the menace group would take whole sets of files pertaining to approaching large - scale military operations . These included correspondence , rosters , comment artificial satellite double , conflict map , orders of battle , geographic co-ordinate for attacks , and lists of weapon from a reach of fighting group .
The New York Timesdetails at least one key battlethat appears to have been thrwarted by hacking - related activeness . fundamentally , the rebels had plan to take a reaching of highway , but they never convey out the attack . It was give away in the security research that pro - Assad hackers had stolen much of the Johnny ’ plans ahead of the battle . In a sensation , this is a peek into the time to come of warfare . [ FireEye , NYT , CNBC ]
Image via AP
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