Al-Qaeda is using hacking techniques as part of its war
against the US, the head of a security company which works for the
US military has claimed.
Paul Innella, chief executive of Tetrad Digital Integrity, told
last week's WebSec Conference that a laptop recovered from a
terrorist training camp in Afghanistan revealed that the group has
been researching hacking techniques.
Innella claimed that the laptop contained information on how to
map computer networks and exploit software vulnerabilities.
He also said the laptop had software capable of modelling the
impact of an attack on a US dam and calculating the damage caused
by a breach.
However, Innella said it was unlikely that Al-Qaeda had the
capability to conduct a large-scale cyber attack.
The organisation is, however, using the internet to research
potential targets and to communicate with members of the group, he
said.
"Terrorists are using the internet for viruses, Trojans and
research. A good deal of research allowed the 9/11 attacks to
succeed," he said.