Iran hacking allegations

Independent, Iranian hackers attack UK universities to steal secret research allegations. "Hackers linked with the Iranian government are targeting universities and academic institutions around the world as part of a major campaign to steal unpublished research and obtain intellectual property, security researchers have revealed."

Israeli websites hacked

Alaraby, Hacked Israeli websites declare ‘Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine’ "Numerous homepages of Israeli schools, hospitals and municipalities displayed pictures of Friday's protests in Gaza, emblazoned with "Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine" and accompanied by muezzin chants, after being hacked by cyber group Anonymous on Tuesday evening."

US sanctions Iranian hackers for 'stealing university data'

BBC, US sanctions Iranian hackers for 'stealing university data'

Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria

phys.org, Watchdog: Western tech used for hacking in Turkey, Syria"A Canadian company's hardware is being used to hack internet users along Turkey's border with Syria, researchers said Friday, adding that there were signs that Kurdish forces aligned with the United States might have been targeted.

Qatar profile

An excellent long read on Qatar, including reference to social media issues: Declan Walsh, NYT, Tiny, Wealthy Qatar Goes Its Own Way, and Pays for It "The Qataris appear to have returned fire on the hacking front. For months American news media outlets have received stolen emails intended to embarrass Mr. Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador. The emails appear to come from Russia, but Saudi media reports say Qatar was behind them.
"Qatar denied any involvement in the hacking. “Qatar, as a matter of policy and principle, does not engage in cyber crimes or traffic in ‘fake news,’” the government said in a statement to The Times on Sunday."

Cyber Vigilantes & Hacktivists - opinion and analysis

The Cipher Brief, Cyber Vigilantes & Hacktivists: Double-Edged Sword Against ISIS - opinion/analysis "Cyber vigilantes and “hacktivists” increasingly fill the void left by governments in combating terrorist activity online. While such politically motivated non-state hackers are relatively effective at removing the presence of terrorist content, their continued operations could damage overall counterterrorism efforts by undermining intelligence operations – say by taking down a website that the CIA or NSA is monitoring. By letting these groups run loose – if even for a noble cause – the U.S. risks undermining international norms of cyber operations among states by legitimizing the phenomenon of “patriotic hackers” used as proxies by governments engaging in deniable operations."

Sudan's e-Rebels

The New Arab, Austin Bodetti, On the front lines with Sudan's e-Rebels, and the state hackers targeting them, 16 Oct 2017 "A little-known hacker group operating under the name "Electronic Jihad" (sometimes translated from Arabic as "Cyber Jihad") spearheads the Sudanese government's efforts at cyber-warfare in Darfur, the Blue Nile, and the Nuba Mountains, where rebels representing ethnic minorities have been resisting its authority for decades."

Kosovo Hacker Who Aided Islamic State Is Sentenced to 20 Years

NewsFactor Network, Kosovo Hacker Who Aided Islamic State Is Sentenced to 20 Years, 27 Sep 2016

Internet Security Firm: 'Cyber Jihad' Is Coming

newsmax.com, Internet Security Firm: 'Cyber Jihad' Is Coming  "Islamic terrorists are arming themselves with the technical tools and
expertise to attack the online systems of Western companies and other
infrastructure, warns a study from the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology."

Hacker admits he gave military members’ data to the Islamic State

washingtonpost.com, Hacker admits he gave military members’ data to the Islamic State

IS 'hit list'

Telegraph, Islamic State threatens to expose British military secrets after publishing US Air Force 'hit list', 1 May 2016 "The group, which calls itself the "Islamic State Hacking Division", said in its online posting: "In our next leak we may even disclose secret intelligence the Islamic State has just received from a source the brothers in the UK have spent some time acquiring from the Ministry of Defence in London as we slowly and secretly infiltrate England and the USA online and off.”"

British Punk Rocker Widow Who Wants to Run ISIS’s Hackers

Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast, The British Punk Rocker Widow Who Wants to Run ISIS’s Hackers "If Jones is indeed able to carve out an operational role for herself, it could speak to the future of Western women in ISIS. While a handful of Arab women—notably, Umm Sayyaf, the wife of the terror group’s onetime financier—have taken leadership roles in ISIS, female Westerners largely have not. Instead, they’ve ended up as brides for ISIS fighting men, said Mia Bloom, professor of communication at Georgia State University who specializes in the role of women in terror organizations."

Vanguard unit of hacktivists Anonymous meets 'Islamic State' on cyberfront

DW.DE, Vanguard unit of hacktivists Anonymous meets 'Islamic State' on cyberfront, 5 Jun 2015 " In recent months, a self-described "elite branch" of the hacktivist group Anonymous has upped the ante in the fight against "Islamic State" (IS). In a statement, Ghost Security (GhostSec) announced its intent to "eliminate every piece of ISIS propaganda from the Internet in an effort to slow down ISIS recruitment online.""

'Iraq cyber-war'

BBC News, Iraq conflict breeds cyber-war among rival factions, 22 Jul 2014 "A cyber-civil war is being waged alongside the armed conflict in Iraq, research by security firms suggests.

"As well as using social media to rally supporters and spread propaganda, some factions are employing hackers to gather intelligence."

Hackers hit IDF account

alarabiya.net. Hackers take over Israel army Twitter account "Internet hackers briefly took over an Israeli army Twitter account, the military said Friday, posting an alarming message that a nuclear facility had been hit by rocket fire."

KSA hackers

Saudi Gazette, alarabiya.net, Saudi interior ministry plans to recruit hackers, 14 May 2014 "The National Information Center of the Saudi Ministry of Interior is planning to employ native hackers in its efforts to define holes in the electronic networks in the Kingdom."

Skype social media platforms hacked by 'Syrian Electronic Army'

BBC News - Skype social media platforms hacked by 'Syrian Electronic Army' "The social media platforms of Skype have been hacked by a group claiming to be the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA)."

Australian websites targets by Indonesian hackers

ninemsn.com.au, Aust websites targets by Indon hackers, 25 Nov 2013 "Indonesian hackers are targeting Australian police and other government agencies' websites as payback for spying on their president but no critical police information has been compromised."

New and noted: 'Introduction to Cyber-Warfare: A Multidisciplinary Approach'

digitalislam.eu, New Book: Introduction to Cyber-Warfare: A Multidisciplinary Approach "Introduction to Cyber-Warfare: A Multidisciplinary Approach, written by experts on the front lines, gives you an insider's look into the world of cyber-warfare through the use of recent case studies. The book examines the issues related to cyber warfare not only from a computer science perspective but from military, sociological, and scientific perspectives as well. You'll learn how cyber-warfare has been performed in the past as well as why various actors rely on this new means of warfare and what steps can be taken to prevent it."

Hacking for Islam

Reuters, Insight - From remote Mauritania, hacker fights for Islam worldwide "In Nouakchott, a dusty city wedged between the Atlantic ocean and western dunes of the Sahara, a young hip-hop fan coordinates a diverse group of hackers targeting websites worldwide in the name of Islam."