China's new rules for content providers that alter facial and voice data will take effect from January 10, its cyberspace regulator said, as it looks to more tightly scrutinise so-called "deepfake" technology and services.

The regulations from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued late on Sunday provide for people to be protected from being impersonated without their consent by deepfakes - images that are virtually indistinguishable from the original, and easily used for manipulation or misinformation.

The CAC said the move was aimed at curbing risks that might arise from activities provided by such platforms that use deep learning or virtual reality to alter any online content, what the regulator calls "deep synthesis service providers", and to also promote the industry's healthy development.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

China's new rules for content providers that alter facial and voice data will take effect from January 10, its cyberspace regulator said, as it looks to more tightly scrutinise so-called "deepfake" technology and services.

China's new rules for content providers that alter facial and voice data will take effect from January 10, its cyberspace regulator said, as it looks to more tightly scrutinise so-called "deepfake" technology and services. The regulations from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued late on Sunday provide for people to be protected from being impersonated without their consent by deepfakes - images that are virtually indistinguishable from the original, and easily used for manipulation or misinformation. The CAC said the move was aimed at curbing risks that might arise from activities provided by such platforms that use deep learning or virtual reality to alter any online content, what the regulator calls "deep synthesis service providers", and to also promote the industry's healthy development.

China's rules for "deepfakes" to take effect from January 10

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla on Tuesday highlighted the use of cyberspace by terrorists even as they raise funds, incite violence via the technology.

"We are witnessing a sophisticated use of cyberspace by terrorists around the world to broaden their appeal, spread virulent propaganda, incite hatred and violence, recruit youth and raise funds,"&nbsp;Harsh Shringla said at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/who-approved-vaccines-can-be-on-national-list-for-travel-says-eu-envoy-394759" hreflang="en">WHO approved vaccines can be on national list for travel, says EU envoy</a>

He also pointed out that "terrorists have also used social media for planning and executing their terror attacks and wreaking havoc", and added that&nbsp;"as a victim of terrorism, India has always underlined the need for member states to address and tackle the implications of terrorist exploitation of the cyber domain more strategically."

In the past, India has raised this issue&nbsp;at various other forums too. The use of "cyber tools" by various entities including states was raised by the foreign secretary.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covishield-becomes-collateral-damage-in-the-inter-eu-tussle-over-chinese-vaccines-394744" hreflang="en">Covishield becomes collateral damage in the inter EU tussle over Chinese vaccines</a>

Without mentioning any name, FS Shringla said, "some states are leveraging their expertise in cyberspace to achieve their political and security-related objectives and indulge in contemporary forms of cross-border terrorism."&nbsp;

"The world is already witnessing the use of cyber tools to compromise state security through, inter alia, attacking critical national infrastructure, including health and energy facilities, even disrupting social harmony through radicalisation," he explained.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/50-bengaluru-residents-have-received-at-least-one-coronavirus-vaccine-shot-reveals-data-394772" hreflang="en">50% Bengaluru residents have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot, reveals data</a>

During his address, he also listed the use of "transformative technology initiatives" such as Aadhar and UPI by India to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Mentioning the use of the Co-WIN app, he said, "As part of its Covid vaccination drive, one of the largest such drives in the world, India has developed Co-WIN – a scalable, inclusive and open technological platform" and this "can be customised and scaled up for health interventions across the globe." India is working on sharing the platform with partner countries.

According to the chief of India's National Health Authority Dr RS Sharma, over 50 countries from across Central Asia, Latin America and Africa, are interested in the technology.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla on Tuesday highlighted the use of cyberspace by terrorists even as they raise funds, incite violence via the technology.

India's foreign secretary Harsh Shringla on Tuesday highlighted the use of cyberspace by terrorists even as they raise funds, incite violence via the technology. "We are witnessing a sophisticated use of cyberspace by terrorists around the world to broaden their appeal, spread virulent propaganda, incite hatred and violence, recruit youth and raise funds," Harsh Shringla said at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate. Also read | WHO approved vaccines can be on national list for travel, says EU envoy He also pointed out that "terrorists have also used social media for planning and executing their terror attacks and wreaking havoc", and added that "as a victim of terrorism, India has always underlined the need for member states to address and tackle the implications of terrorist exploitation of the cyber domain more strategically." In the past, India has raised this issue at various other forums too. The use of "cyber tools" by various entities including states was raised by the foreign secretary. Also read | Covishield becomes collateral damage in the inter EU tussle over Chinese vaccines Without mentioning any name, FS Shringla said, "some states are leveraging their expertise in cyberspace to achieve their political and security-related objectives and indulge in contemporary forms of cross-border terrorism." "The world is already witnessing the use of cyber tools to compromise state security through, inter alia, attacking critical national infrastructure, including health and energy facilities, even disrupting social harmony through radicalisation," he explained. Also read | 50% Bengaluru residents have received at least one coronavirus vaccine shot, reveals data During his address, he also listed the use of "transformative technology initiatives" such as Aadhar and UPI by India to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Mentioning the use of the Co-WIN app, he said, "As part of its Covid vaccination drive, one of the largest such drives in the world, India has developed Co-WIN – a scalable, inclusive and open technological platform" and this "can be customised and scaled up for health interventions across the globe." India is working on sharing the platform with partner countries. According to the chief of India's National Health Authority Dr RS Sharma, over 50 countries from across Central Asia, Latin America and Africa, are interested in the technology.

Witnessing a sophisticated use of cyberspace by terrorists: Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla

Even as India continues to fight the onslaught of coronavirus on the ground, it is facing another different kind of battle in cyberspace where a &nbsp;wider than ever before an anti-India campaign is being run from multiple locations across the world.

According to Indian security agencies, not only the modus-operandi of India baiters has changed this time but in addition to some of the old locations like Pakistan and Bangladesh, some new locations in the Gulf have emerged as major hubs from where these campaigns have been launched. The focus of this campaign which began around three weeks ago is to project India’s efforts to fight COVID-19 as discriminatory against Muslims.

According to information gathered by the Indian Intelligence Agencies, based on monitoring and tracking of this campaign, since April 10, there is a significant change in the strategy of anti-Indian social media handles and many new handles have emerged which are posting content from Gulf region.

One of the key handles that has been disseminating this anti-India propaganda is information is @Alghurair98 which tweeted recently, “What if discrimination has become the DNA of a nation? its leaders, its administration, its forces, its media, its hospitals, its people at large? How do you deal with that?”. Another tweet done from the same handle on April 24 in both Arabic and English said, “This Ramadan night I pray for my sisters and brothers in Kashmir. Allah this Ramadan help end their turmoil.”

Similarly from another handle @KahlownYasin, a number of fake videos and pics have been posted and retweeted. One of the captions for a pic reads, “Media is sneaking into the mosque in hope of getting some content to spread hatred without himself taking any prevention measures. They can be seen without mask and gloves as well as violating the Social Distancing.”

Another Twitter account tracked by Indian security establishment was of @alnassar_kw. It has around 3 lakh followers. It was suspended recently for posting fake content.

A prolific Twitter account with address @AHMAD_ALWAHIDAH is run by an individual who claims to be a TV News Anchor in Kuwait. One of his &nbsp;recent tweets said, “Many who support terrorism in #India and #Kashmir will regret, where strict measures will be taken against them by the international community and international organizations, and they will be ostracized.” A number of fake pictures and videos with provocative captions has been posted from this handle also.

The most common hashtags used by all such handles while posting content is #IslamophobiaInIndia.

&nbsp;“Earlier we used to deal with a lot of bots which used to put messages automatically but now we are dealing with some real-life social media influencers who have followings in large numbers,” said a senior official in the Indian security establishment monitoring these developments.

“These social media handles are posting 20-25 tweets every day in addition to five to six posts on Facebook, Instagram etc. They are posting fake videos also. They were writing mostly in Arabic but of late many of them have started posting in several other foreign languages such as Japanese, Mandarin etc.,” &nbsp;he added.

Many such handles identified by Indian agencies had never posted anti-India content. But since the beginning of April, and especially during the last three weeks, there has been a flurry of the content of these ‘handles’. This shows that these ‘influencers’ have been hired and someone is sending them the content that they are posting on their handles to spread it across the globe.

Another important characteristic of this ongoing anti-India campaign on social media is that the handles posting anti-India content are using only a handful of pictures and the same pictures are used across the board by all these handles.

According to the report put together by the Indian agencies, it is a well-coordinated campaign which has&nbsp;been orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.

Indian agencies have identified six key elements of this &nbsp;‘ecosystem’ being run by India baiters currently. These elements are: bots, content creators, agenda setters, influencers, fact-checkers and orchestrators. &nbsp;People in every category have been assigned specific jobs.

The ‘Agenda Setters’ are giving the overall direction and providing financial resources.

The ‘Orchestrators’ are defined narratives, create bots, knockdown opponent bots, report opponents to get their social media accounts blocked and work with "like factories" to promote content. They build up a network of meme and content creators and influencers and run the legitimate paid digital advertisement.

The ‘Meme creators/content creators’ are making anti-India content- text, graphics, videos, podcasts, posters etc. For doing this they are pulling out old content from various &nbsp;India based social media handles and digital platforms and faking them as the latest one.

The ‘Influencers’ are promoting the content as directed by the ‘Orchestrator’. The focus is on organic growth of the new handles which have been created by them and a much wider spread of the anti-India content. That is why initially, the content was mostly in Arabic, but now it is being posted in multiple foreign languages.

The ‘fact-checkers’ are doing "fact-checking" as per the need of the Orchestrator by using various online and offline tools. The ‘Like Factories’ &nbsp;have been set up where a large number of mobile phones are put together and automated arms actually go and press the 'like' button or 'retweet' button.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Even as India continues to fight the onslaught of coronavirus on the ground, it is facing another different kind of battle in cyberspace where a wider than ever before an anti-India campaign is being run from multiple locations across the world.

Even as India continues to fight the onslaught of coronavirus on the ground, it is facing another different kind of battle in cyberspace where a wider than ever before an anti-India campaign is being run from multiple locations across the world. According to Indian security agencies, not only the modus-operandi of India baiters has changed this time but in addition to some of the old locations like Pakistan and Bangladesh, some new locations in the Gulf have emerged as major hubs from where these campaigns have been launched. The focus of this campaign which began around three weeks ago is to project India’s efforts to fight COVID-19 as discriminatory against Muslims. According to information gathered by the Indian Intelligence Agencies, based on monitoring and tracking of this campaign, since April 10, there is a significant change in the strategy of anti-Indian social media handles and many new handles have emerged which are posting content from Gulf region. One of the key handles that has been disseminating this anti-India propaganda is information is @Alghurair98 which tweeted recently, “What if discrimination has become the DNA of a nation? its leaders, its administration, its forces, its media, its hospitals, its people at large? How do you deal with that?”. Another tweet done from the same handle on April 24 in both Arabic and English said, “This Ramadan night I pray for my sisters and brothers in Kashmir. Allah this Ramadan help end their turmoil.” Similarly from another handle @KahlownYasin, a number of fake videos and pics have been posted and retweeted. One of the captions for a pic reads, “Media is sneaking into the mosque in hope of getting some content to spread hatred without himself taking any prevention measures. They can be seen without mask and gloves as well as violating the Social Distancing.” Another Twitter account tracked by Indian security establishment was of @alnassar_kw. It has around 3 lakh followers. It was suspended recently for posting fake content. A prolific Twitter account with address @AHMAD_ALWAHIDAH is run by an individual who claims to be a TV News Anchor in Kuwait. One of his recent tweets said, “Many who support terrorism in #India and #Kashmir will regret, where strict measures will be taken against them by the international community and international organizations, and they will be ostracized.” A number of fake pictures and videos with provocative captions has been posted from this handle also. The most common hashtags used by all such handles while posting content is #IslamophobiaInIndia. “Earlier we used to deal with a lot of bots which used to put messages automatically but now we are dealing with some real-life social media influencers who have followings in large numbers,” said a senior official in the Indian security establishment monitoring these developments. “These social media handles are posting 20-25 tweets every day in addition to five to six posts on Facebook, Instagram etc. They are posting fake videos also. They were writing mostly in Arabic but of late many of them have started posting in several other foreign languages such as Japanese, Mandarin etc.,” he added. Many such handles identified by Indian agencies had never posted anti-India content. But since the beginning of April, and especially during the last three weeks, there has been a flurry of the content of these ‘handles’. This shows that these ‘influencers’ have been hired and someone is sending them the content that they are posting on their handles to spread it across the globe. Another important characteristic of this ongoing anti-India campaign on social media is that the handles posting anti-India content are using only a handful of pictures and the same pictures are used across the board by all these handles. According to the report put together by the Indian agencies, it is a well-coordinated campaign which has been orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Indian agencies have identified six key elements of this ‘ecosystem’ being run by India baiters currently. These elements are: bots, content creators, agenda setters, influencers, fact-checkers and orchestrators. People in every category have been assigned specific jobs. The ‘Agenda Setters’ are giving the overall direction and providing financial resources. The ‘Orchestrators’ are defined narratives, create bots, knockdown opponent bots, report opponents to get their social media accounts blocked and work with "like factories" to promote content. They build up a network of meme and content creators and influencers and run the legitimate paid digital advertisement. The ‘Meme creators/content creators’ are making anti-India content- text, graphics, videos, podcasts, posters etc. For doing this they are pulling out old content from various India based social media handles and digital platforms and faking them as the latest one. The ‘Influencers’ are promoting the content as directed by the ‘Orchestrator’. The focus is on organic growth of the new handles which have been created by them and a much wider spread of the anti-India content. That is why initially, the content was mostly in Arabic, but now it is being posted in multiple foreign languages. The ‘fact-checkers’ are doing "fact-checking" as per the need of the Orchestrator by using various online and offline tools. The ‘Like Factories’ have been set up where a large number of mobile phones are put together and automated arms actually go and press the 'like' button or 'retweet' button. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Anti-India campaign prowling in the cyberspace

Authors:&nbsp;Daniel Wagner and&nbsp;Giuseppe Del Vecchio*

Cyberspace is the ideal platform for terrorists because, unlike conventional warfare, barriers to entry into cyberspace are much lower. The price of entry is an internet connection. The surreptitious use of the internet to advance terrorist group objectives has created a new brand of Holy War &mdash; &ldquo;virtual jihad&rdquo;&mdash; that gains thousands of new adherents each day. Long after the current terrorist groups have ceased to be a major threat from a physical perspective, they will remain omnipresent in cyberspace, promoting a virtual caliphate from their safe haven behind computer keyboards around the world. Islamic extremists are natural candidates to transition to a virtual world that offers them automatic citizenship beyond the nation-state.

Since the Islamic State (IS) was founded, its leaders have deftly and continually rewritten the narrative to claim that the group&rsquo;s desired caliphate exists, has a specific location and maintains a defined group of adherents. Unconstrained by the absence of a definitive Quranic guideline for what constitutes a caliphate, IS created its own self-promoting doctrine. The group expanded its caliphate narrative to include a wide range of options for participation: Membership included everyone from the passive observer reading a blog or curiously following a Twitter feed to the keyboard jihadist editing Rumiyah or hacking a website to the real-world operators attacking a nightclub or running down holiday celebrants with a delivery truck.

IS has successfully exploited the sociopolitical environment and young adults&rsquo; obsession with technology to establish a growing community of devotees in the ungoverned territory of cyberspace, ensuring its ability to continue to coordinate and inspire violence well into the future. IS has found its own salvation via the internet, particularly since it has already passed the peak of its real-world power.

The Islamic State has also capitalised on the world&rsquo;s evolving propensity to integrate online activities with real-world activities. Social media has had an incredible multiplying effect on radical messaging and IS has had great success publishing online, which has resonated particularly well with disenfranchised Muslims and youths, causing some to act on inspiration and guidance received online. IS has exploited their search for meaningful identity by promising to restore their dignity so that they may find personal fulfilment and purpose.

Virtual world

The virtual world is in some ways more compelling than the real world because storylines can be artfully crafted for maximum appeal while omitting anything that may be perceived as negative. A promise is much easier to make online, as is the vision of fulfilling aspirations. IS has created virtual messaging that is wildly at odds with the reality of life as an IS fighter on the ground. Cyberspace has enabled the group to turn tactical defeats on the battlefield into glorious martyrdom operations that highlight the bravery and commitment of its fighters. The loss of territory and the deaths of key leaders have served to feed propaganda efforts that are used to prove the resiliency of the caliphate.

Since all that is required to be a virtual planner is an internet connection and good encryption, they can operate from anywhere, although being geographically dispersed carries the heightened risk of detection in some nations. The virtual planner model has revolutionised jihadist external operations. IS has taken advantage of recent advances in online communications and encryption so that the group&rsquo;s top operatives can directly guide lone attackers, playing a central role in the conceptualisation, target selection, timing and execution of future attacks. Virtual planners offer operatives the same services once provided by strictly physical networks. They seamlessly execute the group&rsquo;s guiding strategy and maximize the impact and propaganda value of attacks waged in its name, while avoiding many of the risks typically associated with physical training operatives, such as being tailed or getting caught returning to a home country.

Integrated into the group&rsquo;s geographical command structure, virtual planners function much like theatre commanders, but in the cyber realm. IS virtual planners are also assigned areas of responsibility according to their nationality and linguistic skills and are tasked with actively recruiting and handling attackers from these areas.

Global brand

The advancement of internet-based communication and the explosion of social media have enabled the planner to reach a larger audience than ever before. By building an &ldquo;intimate&rdquo; relationship with a potential attacker, the virtual planner provides encouragement and validation, addressing the individual&rsquo;s doubts and hesitations while generating confidence and a strong desire to carry out an attack. Virtual planners can replicate the same social pressures that exist with in-person cells. Individuals can simply wander into searchable online networks rather than identify with and be socialised by covert in-person networks. Unlike with physical networks, the virtual planner model does not risk the capture or punishment of the network&rsquo;s key operatives.

Individuals inspired by IS can directly reach out to virtual planners for guidance and assistance in carrying out attacks. In addition to recruitment and operational guidance, virtual planners can bring disparate individuals and cells together to form larger attack networks. IS virtual planners allow the group to effectively seize ownership over what would previously have been considered lone-wolf attacks. Virtual planners transform these individuals into ambassadors for the IS global brand at relatively low cost. Virtual planners help maximize the psychological and reputational impact of violence committed in the IS name, further enticing other potential devotees to join its cause.

The success of the virtual-planner model underscores the ongoing process of organisational learning by jihadist groups. But the model also has disadvantages, such as the inability to provide in-person training or be optimally nimble during an attack to modify plans as circumstances change. Cells directed by virtual planners are also at greater risk of being detected by signals intelligence, despite advances in end-to-end encryption. Nonetheless, the virtual planner approach is a low-cost, high-reward strategy with enormous destructive potential, especially as IS and other terrorist groups continue to refine the model.

Adaptations to jihadists&rsquo; modes of operation have continually outpaced states&rsquo; ability to effectively counter them, and will likely continue to do so. Virtual jihad has not only gained prominence and credibility as an alternative to traditional conceptions of jihad but has also progressively outpaced physical jihad. Although physical jihad continues to appeal to a great many actors, its virtual incarnation has supplanted traditional notions of jihad for a new generation of adherents who are either unwilling or unable to engage in physical violence themselves. The rise of the virtual jihadist has assumed an important (perhaps irreplaceable) role in rejuvenating the concept of jihad and facilitating the dissemination of its &ldquo;counterculture&rdquo; narrative to new audiences for many years to come.

This <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/islamic-state-caliphate-jihad-online-world-news-headlines-today-17655/" rel="nofollow">article</a> has been originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow">Fair Observer</a>.

*Giuseppe Del Vecchio is a research analyst at Country Risk Solutions.

(Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).

The Islamic State is increasingly going online to ensure its survival

Authors: Daniel Wagner and Giuseppe Del Vecchio* Cyberspace is the ideal platform for terrorists because, unlike conventional warfare, barriers to entry into cyberspace are much lower. The price of entry is an internet connection. The surreptitious use of the internet to advance terrorist group objectives has created a new brand of Holy War — “virtual jihad”— that gains thousands of new adherents each day. Long after the current terrorist groups have ceased to be a major threat from a physical perspective, they will remain omnipresent in cyberspace, promoting a virtual caliphate from their safe haven behind computer keyboards around the world. Islamic extremists are natural candidates to transition to a virtual world that offers them automatic citizenship beyond the nation-state. Since the Islamic State (IS) was founded, its leaders have deftly and continually rewritten the narrative to claim that the group’s desired caliphate exists, has a specific location and maintains a defined group of adherents. Unconstrained by the absence of a definitive Quranic guideline for what constitutes a caliphate, IS created its own self-promoting doctrine. The group expanded its caliphate narrative to include a wide range of options for participation: Membership included everyone from the passive observer reading a blog or curiously following a Twitter feed to the keyboard jihadist editing Rumiyah or hacking a website to the real-world operators attacking a nightclub or running down holiday celebrants with a delivery truck. IS has successfully exploited the sociopolitical environment and young adults’ obsession with technology to establish a growing community of devotees in the ungoverned territory of cyberspace, ensuring its ability to continue to coordinate and inspire violence well into the future. IS has found its own salvation via the internet, particularly since it has already passed the peak of its real-world power. The Islamic State has also capitalised on the world’s evolving propensity to integrate online activities with real-world activities. Social media has had an incredible multiplying effect on radical messaging and IS has had great success publishing online, which has resonated particularly well with disenfranchised Muslims and youths, causing some to act on inspiration and guidance received online. IS has exploited their search for meaningful identity by promising to restore their dignity so that they may find personal fulfilment and purpose. Virtual world The virtual world is in some ways more compelling than the real world because storylines can be artfully crafted for maximum appeal while omitting anything that may be perceived as negative. A promise is much easier to make online, as is the vision of fulfilling aspirations. IS has created virtual messaging that is wildly at odds with the reality of life as an IS fighter on the ground. Cyberspace has enabled the group to turn tactical defeats on the battlefield into glorious martyrdom operations that highlight the bravery and commitment of its fighters. The loss of territory and the deaths of key leaders have served to feed propaganda efforts that are used to prove the resiliency of the caliphate. Since all that is required to be a virtual planner is an internet connection and good encryption, they can operate from anywhere, although being geographically dispersed carries the heightened risk of detection in some nations. The virtual planner model has revolutionised jihadist external operations. IS has taken advantage of recent advances in online communications and encryption so that the group’s top operatives can directly guide lone attackers, playing a central role in the conceptualisation, target selection, timing and execution of future attacks. Virtual planners offer operatives the same services once provided by strictly physical networks. They seamlessly execute the group’s guiding strategy and maximize the impact and propaganda value of attacks waged in its name, while avoiding many of the risks typically associated with physical training operatives, such as being tailed or getting caught returning to a home country. Integrated into the group’s geographical command structure, virtual planners function much like theatre commanders, but in the cyber realm. IS virtual planners are also assigned areas of responsibility according to their nationality and linguistic skills and are tasked with actively recruiting and handling attackers from these areas. Global brand The advancement of internet-based communication and the explosion of social media have enabled the planner to reach a larger audience than ever before. By building an “intimate” relationship with a potential attacker, the virtual planner provides encouragement and validation, addressing the individual’s doubts and hesitations while generating confidence and a strong desire to carry out an attack. Virtual planners can replicate the same social pressures that exist with in-person cells. Individuals can simply wander into searchable online networks rather than identify with and be socialised by covert in-person networks. Unlike with physical networks, the virtual planner model does not risk the capture or punishment of the network’s key operatives. Individuals inspired by IS can directly reach out to virtual planners for guidance and assistance in carrying out attacks. In addition to recruitment and operational guidance, virtual planners can bring disparate individuals and cells together to form larger attack networks. IS virtual planners allow the group to effectively seize ownership over what would previously have been considered lone-wolf attacks. Virtual planners transform these individuals into ambassadors for the IS global brand at relatively low cost. Virtual planners help maximize the psychological and reputational impact of violence committed in the IS name, further enticing other potential devotees to join its cause. The success of the virtual-planner model underscores the ongoing process of organisational learning by jihadist groups. But the model also has disadvantages, such as the inability to provide in-person training or be optimally nimble during an attack to modify plans as circumstances change. Cells directed by virtual planners are also at greater risk of being detected by signals intelligence, despite advances in end-to-end encryption. Nonetheless, the virtual planner approach is a low-cost, high-reward strategy with enormous destructive potential, especially as IS and other terrorist groups continue to refine the model. Adaptations to jihadists’ modes of operation have continually outpaced states’ ability to effectively counter them, and will likely continue to do so. Virtual jihad has not only gained prominence and credibility as an alternative to traditional conceptions of jihad but has also progressively outpaced physical jihad. Although physical jihad continues to appeal to a great many actors, its virtual incarnation has supplanted traditional notions of jihad for a new generation of adherents who are either unwilling or unable to engage in physical violence themselves. The rise of the virtual jihadist has assumed an important (perhaps irreplaceable) role in rejuvenating the concept of jihad and facilitating the dissemination of its “counterculture” narrative to new audiences for many years to come. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer. *Giuseppe Del Vecchio is a research analyst at Country Risk Solutions. (Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: The Islamic State is ready to wage 'virtual jihad'

Iran&#39;s new communications minister said&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;that negotiations were underway <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspended-377000-accounts-last-year-for-trying-to-promote-extremism-13642">with microblogging site Twitter to unblock the service</a>, which has been banned for years despite being used even by the country&#39;s supreme leader.

&quot;(Twitter) has announced that it is prepared to negotiate to resolve problems,&quot; Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi told the Iran daily newspaper.

&quot;Considering the current situation there are grounds for such negotiation and interaction. Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked,&quot; he added.

The 36-year-old Jahromi became Iran&#39;s youngest-ever minister this week, and the first to be born after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

His selection has been criticised by rights groups over his involvement in surveillance during and after the mass anti-regime protests of 2009.

But Jahromi is also seen as a critic of online censorship in Iran, where sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter remain banned even if millions use them daily through easily available privacy software.

There was no immediate response from Twitter to his comments.

He said officials were also looking at ways to unblock YouTube while still censoring &quot;immoral content&quot; on the site, and that a pilot project was being run, allowing universities to access the site.

Jahromi added that the final decision on unblocking Twitter did not lie with his ministry, but with the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, which includes members of the hardline judiciary.

Twitter was banned at the time of mass anti-regime protests in 2009, that followed allegations of massive rigging in the re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

But despite the ban, the US messaging service is widely used by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has official accounts in several languages, as well as President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Even Ahmadinejad joined the service this year.

Separately, Jahromi rejected allegations he was involved in interrogations during the 2009 protests.

&quot;I wasn&#39;t responsible for surveillance, I was in charge of the technical infrastructure for the surveillance industry, and I consider it an honour,&quot; he said in a meeting with lawmakers this week, according to the Shahrvand newspaper.

Iran's new communications minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi said

Iran's new communications minister said Tuesday that negotiations were underway with microblogging site Twitter to unblock the service, which has been banned for years despite being used even by the country's supreme leader. "(Twitter) has announced that it is prepared to negotiate to resolve problems," Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi told the Iran daily newspaper. "Considering the current situation there are grounds for such negotiation and interaction. Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked," he added. The 36-year-old Jahromi became Iran's youngest-ever minister this week, and the first to be born after the 1979 Islamic revolution. His selection has been criticised by rights groups over his involvement in surveillance during and after the mass anti-regime protests of 2009. But Jahromi is also seen as a critic of online censorship in Iran, where sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter remain banned even if millions use them daily through easily available privacy software. There was no immediate response from Twitter to his comments. He said officials were also looking at ways to unblock YouTube while still censoring "immoral content" on the site, and that a pilot project was being run, allowing universities to access the site. Jahromi added that the final decision on unblocking Twitter did not lie with his ministry, but with the Supreme Council for Cyberspace, which includes members of the hardline judiciary. Twitter was banned at the time of mass anti-regime protests in 2009, that followed allegations of massive rigging in the re-election of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. But despite the ban, the US messaging service is widely used by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has official accounts in several languages, as well as President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Even Ahmadinejad joined the service this year. Separately, Jahromi rejected allegations he was involved in interrogations during the 2009 protests. "I wasn't responsible for surveillance, I was in charge of the technical infrastructure for the surveillance industry, and I consider it an honour," he said in a meeting with lawmakers this week, according to the Shahrvand newspaper.

Twitter is not an immoral environment needing to be blocked, says Iran's communications minister

cyberspace

Cyberspace, News on Cyberspace, stories on Cyberspace, articles on Cyberspace, Cyberspace stories at Wion, Cyberspace news, Cyberspace latest news