Posted on 03/22/2008 6:33:46 AM PDT by nuconvert
Cyber Vigilantes Track Extremist Web Sites, Intelligence Experts Balk at Effort
MIAMI, Fla. — While the debate grows on how to tackle global jihadism on the Internet, some security experts warn that "cyber vigilantes" — people who track and help shut down terror-related Web sites — are compromising government investigations with their amateur sleuthing tactics.
Michael Radu, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and an expert on terror-related Web sites, said the government is already overburdened trying to monitor the thousands of sites on the Web believed to contain radical Muslim messages. These cyber vigilantes, he said, are not helping.
“It is very unlikely they will find something of significance in the Internet that the government doesn’t already know," Radu said. "They are redundant at best.”
Cyber vigilantes typically troll the Internet, searching message boards, Web sites and media sharing sites for incendiary postings from people with ties to terror groups like Al Qaeda. Using Arabic translation software, they monitor postings and even assume fake identities to join online conversations.
One of them is Bill Warner, a Sarasota, Fla.-based private investigator and a self-proclaimed cyber-crusader.
Just last month alone, Warner was instrumental in helping shut down three Web sites hosted by a Tampa Internet service provider (ISP) that contained text, images and video related to attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
pinging jveritas and ASA Vet
The Internet Hanagah site has had many run-ins with civilian LEOs (e.g. FBI). I don’t think it’s ever been as big an issue for DoD.
This is what the fedgov always says, between hitting the snooze button.
The original minutemen were ridiculed, too.
Gummybearmint logic! We are overburdened.... vigilantes are not helping. Howbout taking advantage of "vigilantes", getting them involved as volunteer mu-slime hunters, open up database and communicate with them??? Or higher them??? Too simple?
Shutting down these web sites may make some geek feel good about himself for a week or so, but it accomplishes absolutely nothing. Such sites will pop up elsewhere in a matter of days or weeks.
If an intelligence agency is monitoring such a site to gather data with which to actually take down a cell by capturing them or heading off their plot, the vigilante has in fact helped the terrorists.
It’s too bad the Government and our Patriots cannot work together on this. Good people want to DO SOMETHING TO HELP.
On the night before the 9/11, Adam Gadahn Pearlman posted a taunt about the upcoming attack on the MSNBC International News BBS.
http://web.archive.org/web/20010911215029/bbs.msnbc.com/bbs/msnbc-world/posts/oc/738258.asp
Vigilance is everyone’s responsibility, not just the so-called intelligence experts.
YES! Exactly!!!
Those gubmint experts would leave those cyber vigilantes alone if they hire H1B visa holders to do the job.
MI Ping
Yes, they need to work together. If the complaint is that they’re overburdened, then hire more people to help.
The gov’t has used the same complaint about not having enough Farsi translators. There are lots of people who can help.
I remember short wave listeners saying the same thing about number group broadcasts back in the 80’s. They wanted the NSA to ask them to help out.
I agree with that. Establish a system whereby private citizens can efficiently report Jihadist internet activty to the FBI, etc...
People should put up various phony terrorist web sites to spread misinformation, slander, & confusion among the would-be terrorists.
“People should put up various phony terrorist web sites...”
They’d better inform the authorities first.
redundant is GOOD.
The government is the one who should be doing it.
I’m sure they are. This is SOP in law enforcement sting operations.
If the government’s overworked, they could always enlist CAIR to lend them a hand.
CAIR’s now training FBI agents about Islam anyway. Maybe our government could get a two-fer discount.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989838/posts
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