ISIS's Enemies Cyberattacked

According to Internet watchdog Citizen Lab, a malware attack intended to hack into Syrian dissidents’ computer systems could be the work of ISIS. Citizen Lab’s analysts and researchers determined that a virus-laden email sent to an activist collective on Nov. 24 could have revealed the victims’ IP address, therefore acting as an electronic homing beacon. The activists say the email is different from cyberattacks from the Syrian government. Bugs in the malware’s code suggest that its creator has “basic skills, but perhaps without a lot of ‘professionalism’…or quality control,” according to one Citizen Lab analyst. The group says there is circumstantial evidence suggesting the attack came from ISIS. If the group has moved into cyberespionage, one analyst warned, "the targets might not stop within the borders of Syria."