Highlights
– Growth of computer use in Iraq fuels steady rise in the number of cyber attacks
– Iraq’s creation of a national cybercrimes division is a key element in combating future cyber terrorism
– More funding is needed for software, hardware and training to successfully combat cyber attacks
Since the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the country has seen a tremendous growth in the use of computers and the Internet among government entities and private citizens. In 2003, Iraq’s Interior Ministry had no computers connected to the Internet, but today has over 5,000. Along with this growth, the government has attempted to keep up with the protection of its computer networks and the sensitive information stored on servers and personal computers.
According to Zone-H.org, an independent website that tracks and verifies hacker activity worldwide, nearly 1,500 governmental and business websites have been hacked into by “Iraqi Diver,” one of Iraq’s most prolific hackers. A list of organizations that have fallen victim to “Iraqi Diver’s” website defacements includes the ministries of the Interior, Electricity and Communications, as well as a handful of Iraqi banks.
As computer usage and dependence continues to increase in Iraq, so will the security needs to defend against infrastructure intrusions.
A New Cybercrimes Division is Born
As Iraq’s computer network has grown, so too have the stakes for protecting the information stored on these networks. As a result, the Iraqi government recently formed a new cyber crimes unit that is headed by Major Ahmed Khathem. Khathem leads a small team of ill-equipped computer scientists who are attempting to prevent the destruction, defacement and theft of information on governmental websites, databases and personal computer systems.
• This is not an easy task considering the newly formed unit has only one laptop, which Maj. Khathem borrowed from one of his subordinates.
According to Ali Hussein, one of 12 computer science graduates added to the division last month, the government has focused more on defeating terrorists in the real world versus the realms of cyberspace. He says hackers are not a current priority to the Iraqi government.
In order to draw more attention to this potentially destructive threat, Major Khathem and his team of security professionals will have to convince Iraq government leaders of the consequences the country’s critical infrastructure faces if computer networks are not properly protected against a growing and sophisticated hacker community.
For instance, according to Paul Kurtz, a former member of the US National Security Council and co-author of the national strategy for cyber security, the US has seized hard drives in Afghanistan and Iraq with information on sabotaging oil pipelines through hacking. As members of terrorist organizations become more reliant upon computers and the Internet to plan their activities, it is critical for the Iraqi government to have a properly equipped and trained cybercrimes division that will be ready to retrieve data from seized computer systems and analyze it for information critical to uncovering terrorist plots and protecting national assets.
Outlook
As computers systems and networks become more commonplace in Iraq, the government will need to begin investing in technologies and other security measures aimed at protecting an ever expanding computer network which is critical to the success of the country’s rebuilding and revitalization projects. If sensitive information were to fall into the hands of a skilled hacker, this information could be sold or freely given to terrorist organizations thereby putting critical infrastructures and Iraqi citizens at risk.
This sentiment has been echoed by American intelligence analysts who say they have long been concerned by the notion that al Qaeda could use computers to wage terror – disrupting water treatment plants or nuclear facilities, for instance.
The newly formed Iraqi cybercrimes division is a critical step in protecting the country’s computer networks, but more funding will be needed for the purchase of hardware and software to prevent and uncover the origins of these recent hack attempts.
Because computers and computer networks are a relatively new concept for many Iraqis’, computer security training for the thousands of governmental and private business end users will also be important as it is usually the “weakest link” in allowing a hacker to gain access to a computer system or network.
