UK cyber attack crippled ISIS ability to communicate
The UK has conducted a major cyber attack on ISIS, the director of UK intelligence agency GCHQ said yesterday.
In his first public speech as the head of the agency, Jeremy Fleming said the UK attack had crippled the terrorist group’s ability to communicate online, distribute propaganda and helped to destroy equipment.
“The outcomes of these operations are wide ranging,” Mr Fleming told the CyberUK 2018 conference in Manchester.
“In 2017, there were times when Daesh found it almost impossible to spread their hate online, to use their normal channels to spread their rhetoric, or trust their publications.
“This campaign shows how targeted and effective offensive cyber can be.”
The UK has played a significant role in Operation Inherent Resolve, the international coalition against ISIS. This included British planes carrying out air strikes against ISIS targets and special forces conducting ground operations in Syria and Iraq.
Mr Fleming’s comments are one of the first official confirmations of the UK’s involvement in cyber warfare against the group. He said these efforts made “a significant contribution to coalition efforts”.
He said: “This is the first time the UK has systematically and persistently degraded an adversary’s online efforts as part of a wider military campaign.
“This campaign shows how effective targeted offensive cyber can be.”