Posted on 06/24/2015 6:08:32 PM PDT by markomalley
Introduction
The MEMRI Cyber Jihad Lab (CJL) has received an exclusive copy of a report released May 25, 2015 by the cyber-security organization Tenshi, "Assessing The Computer Network Operation (CNO) Capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran." The report includes an analysis of the cyber threats posed by Iran, including its use of academia as a hotbed for cultivating future hackers, as well as a review of the most prominent and active Iranian hacker groups. The following is the CJL's review of this report.
"Iran's Interest In Further Developing Its Asymmetric Warfare Potential Has Never Been More Vigorous"
The report first assesses the current state of the cyber threat posed by Iran, noting that "Iran's interest in further developing its asymmetric warfare potential has never been more vigorous" and that the country is currently trying to break out of its "catch-up mode" and attain parity in Network-Centric Warfare. Iran, it says, is already experienced with measures regarding censorship, surveillance, and control of Internet and other data networks, and the country's thriving academic community focuses on topics such as software development, cryptography, and the localization of English-language materials into Farsi, which is a "major driving force behind the technological rise of Iran's understanding" of various forms of cyber warfare.
According to the report, the Iranian government has long tolerated the existence of a civilian hacking infrastructure, in which private Iranian citizens engaged in cyber warfare and shared knowledge, software exploits, and code, and in effect created a "closely nurtured ecosystem" stemming from the regime's desire to build the nation's offensive cyber capabilities along with cultivating the patriotic notions of civilian heroism on the cyber front.
Academia As A Farm System For Cyber Warriors
(Excerpt) Read more at memri.org ...
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