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Showing posts with label Terrorism. Show all posts
Trafficking
APG Cyber Crime Illicit Trade Terrorism Trafficking

Terrorists Using Cyber Crime for Funding Since Covid-19


What is Asia Pacific Group Report?

Terrorist groups are actively depending on criminal activities, these include online frauds and cybercrime, scams that fund their illegal activities, as per the annual report of Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering. 

The report also lists case studies from member countries, these include India and Pakistan, it involves money laundering and terrorism finance. 

Cybercrime and terrorism 

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to have let terrorists to increase their dependence on trafficking in minerals and precious stones, drug smuggling, scam through electronic means, the trade of counterfeit medicines, and cybercrime. 

The authorities have also found sale of forged vaccination records. The members keep reporting fraud claims for COVID-19 related government subsidies. 

The lockdown and border closures because of COVID-19 led to a rise in the identification of illegal trade related to alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. There has also been a rise in the discovery of large amounts of physical cash linked to the crime.

Recent Developments 

Denoting to large seizures of heroin in the Indian Ocean region, the report suggests that it could be a sign that drug traffickers are making more use of maritime routes to smuggle heroine to Europe by using the Southern route. 

This development might be going hand in hand with a decline in trafficking along the land routes. The shift can be attributed to a change in tactics by drug trafficking agencies in response to the COVID-19 measures.

Crackdown by Police 

Earlier this year, a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau and the Indian Navy led to capturing of 750 kg of drugs worth more than Rs 2,000 crore via a ship off from the Gujarat coast. 

Recently, the Gujarat police captured 75 kgs of heroin, around Rs 376 crore worth, from a shipment in the Mundra Port (Gujrat). The NIA is enquiring the role of international cartel in trafficking 3,000 Kg of heroine at Mundra Port (Gujarat) in September last year. 

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UN
COVID-19 Cyber Crime Cyberterrorism Terrorism UN

The United Nations Reports Increase in Internet Usage and Cyber Crime during the Pandemic

 

The U.N. counterterrorism chief reported a 350% increase in phishing websites in just the first quarter of the year, mostly targeting hospitals and health care systems and obstructing their work responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic. 
Vladimir Voronkov told the U.N. Security Council that the upsurge in phishing websites was a part of “a significant rise in cybercrime in recent months” revealed by speakers previous month's first Virtual Counterterrorism Week at the United Nations. 

The weeklong gathering was attended delegates from 134 nations, 88 civil society and private sector organizations, 47 international and regional organizations, and 40 United Nations bodies. 

He said the U.N. furthermore; the global experts haven't yet completely comprehended “the impact and consequences of the pandemic on global peace and security, and more specifically on organized crime and terrorism.” 

Voronkov says, “We know that terrorists are exploiting the significant disruption and economic hardships caused by COVID-19 to spread fear, hate, and division and radicalize and recruit new followers. The increase in internet usage and cybercrime during the pandemic further compounds the problem.” 

Undersecretary-General Voronkov said the discussions demonstrated a mutual understanding and worry that “terrorists are generating funds from illicit trafficking in drugs, goods, natural resources, and antiquities, as well as kidnapping for ransom, extorting and committing other heinous crimes.” 

He said U.N. member nations are rightly focused around handling the currently increasing health and human crisis brought about by COVID-19 however he urged them not to overlook the threat of terrorism. 

In many parts of the world, Voronkov stated, “terrorists are exploiting local grievances and poor governance to regroup and assert their control.” 

Ghada Waly, executive director of the Vienna-based U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the council meeting on the linkage among counterterrorism and transnational organized crime that the links are "complex and multifaceted," and “the COVID-19 crisis poses a host of new challenges to national authorities.” 

“Organized criminal groups and terrorists may seek to capitalize on and exploit new vulnerabilities,” she said, “and transit patterns are shifting in view of travel restrictions and lockdown measures, adding further challenges for border security.”

Lastly, she added a rather important point which highlights the fact that during these dark times comprehensive and cooperative responses are needed more than ever.
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WhatsApp
Cyber-attacks Cybersecurity Facebook Israel NSO Pegasus Spyware Terrorism USA WhatsApp

Israeli Security Company NSO Pretends to Be Facebook


As per several reports, Facebook was imitated by an Israeli security company that is known as the “NSO Group” to get the targets to install their “phone-hacking software”.

Per sources, a Facebook-like doppelganger domain was engineered to distribute the NSO’s “Pegasus” hacking contrivance. Allegedly, serves within the boundaries of the USA were employed for the spreading of it.

The Pegasus, as mentioned in reports, if installed once, can have access to text messages, device microphone, and camera as well as other user data on a device along with the GPS location tracking.

NSO has denied this but it still happens to be in a legal standoff with Facebook, which contends that NSO on purpose distributed its software on WhatsApp that led to the exploitation of countless devices. Another allegation on NSO is about having delivered the software to spy on journalist Jamal Khashoggi before his killing, to the government of Saudi Arabia, citing sources.

Facebook also claimed that NSO was also behind the operation of the spyware to which NSO appealed to the court to dismiss the case insisting that sovereign governments are the ones who use the spyware.

Per sources, NSO’s ex-employee, allegedly, furnished details of a sever which was fabricated to spread the spyware by deceiving targets into clicking on links. The server was connected with numerous internet addresses which happened to include the one that pretended to be Facebook’s. And Facebook had to buy it to stop the abuse of it.

As per reports, package tracking links from FedEx and other links for unsubscribing from emails were also employed on other such domains.

NSO still stand their ground about never using the software, themselves. In fact they are pretty proud of their contribution to fighting crime and terrorism, mention sources.

Security researchers say that it’s almost impossible for one of the servers to have helped in the distribution of the software to be within the borders of the USA. Additionally, reports mention, NSO maintains that its products could not be employed to conduct cyber-surveillance within the United States of America.

Facebook still holds that NSO is to blame for cyber-attacks. And NSO maintains that they don’t use their own software.

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