innismir.net

Over the weekend, the Federation of the American Scientists posted a presentation by the Army’s 304th Military Intelligence Battalion. This presentation went over a few things, focusing on the use of mobile technology and the possible use of Twitter by Terrorist cells for either Open Source Intelligence gathering (OSINT) or a Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) tool.

Needless to say, most of the population of Twitter has basically taken the report to mean “Oh my god, the Army thinks Twitter is a Terrorist tool!” and has dismissed the report out of hand. Even some security weblogs I read have been fairly dismissive of the report. After reading up on the report, I completely agree with it’s findings. I’ve had similar concerns floating in the back of my mind since for a while now.

Twitter is a great tool for distributing information quickly, and while that is a good thing, it can also be used for not-so-good things as well. Twitter, with it’s mobile integration and the fact that everyone has a mobile device make it ideal for a distributed intelligence network. The report mentions that this was used with great effect during the Republican National Convention by dirty hippies activists in avoiding apprehension. The report looks at these uses and proposed three scenarios:

Scenario 1: Terrorist operative “A” uses Twitter with (or without) a cell phone camera/video function to send back messages, and to receive messages, from the rest of his cell… Other members of his cell receive near real time updates (similar to the movement updates that were sent by activists at the RNC) on how, where, and the number of troops that are moving in order to conduct an ambush.

Scenario 2: Terrorist operative “A” has a mobile phone for Tweet messaging and for taking images. Operative “A” also has a separate mobile phone that is actually an explosive device and/or a suicide vest for remote detonation. Terrorist operative “B” has the detonator and a mobile to view “A’s” Tweets and images. This may allow “B” to select the precise moment of remote detonation based on near real time movement and imagery that is being sent by “A.”

Scenario 3: Cyber Terrorist operative “A” finds U.S. [soldier] Smith’s Twitter account. Operative “A” joins Smith’s Tweets and begins to elicit information from Smith. This information is then used for… identity theft, hacking, and/or physical [attacks]. This scenario is not new and has already been discussed for other social networking sites, such as My Space and/or Face Book.

There a real-world examples of people using Twitter for things similar to Scenario 1 and 3 today and while Scenario 2 is the most far-fetched, it is still in the realm of possibility. While I don’t think that there are currently terrorists actively designing operations with Twitter in mind, I do believe that it has registered with them. I’m also sure that information on Twitter is going to be mind by both sides, so it is important to make sure that the “good guys” know that how it can be used against them and also how it can be used against the “bad guys.”

Figuring out your opponent’s next move is key in strategic battles and researching all the options is key. The report came up with a few not-so-far-fetched scenarios in which Twitter plays a key role. Coming up with these scenarios allows people to plan to combat them. While it’s easy to dismiss the report as paranoia and think as Twitter as 100% Sunshine and Puppies, it is important to realize that like any tool, Twitter can be used for good things and bad.