The Internet as a space for the upcoming virtual wars

Since the beginning of the eighties of the last century, the world has been witnessing an unprecedented technological revolution, and perhaps one of its most prominent features that has ever appeared is the revolution in information and communication technology, whether in devices or in content.  In fact, the technological developments that took place were not limited to creating normal developments in favor of the world of finance and business, or the world of industry, commerce and other sectors, but rather sparked the logic of networking between these sectors.  , and the strong questioning of the hierarchy that was the common denominator regulating the same sectors, in the periods leading up to this technological revolution.

The most important and strongest outcome of this revolution in the field of media, information and communications is the emergence and spread of the Internet, whose scope and extension were not limited to the use of technologies for merging sound, image and data with one element. mode.  Instead, it moved from economies and societies based on raw materials and energy to economies and societies based on information, knowledge, horizontal organization, and highly qualified human resources. 

On this basis, the network is no longer just a tool for communication and communication between two specific parties, but rather, by virtue of its openness and flexibility in navigating within it, it has become a "means" from which portals and websites run blogs, as if we were really facing the "Athenian space" that dates back centuries.  , at the first signs of a free and direct discussion.

Understanding the logic and general philosophy of the Internet can only be corrected by relying on the hardware or software aspects that provide its structure and structure, but also by evoking the functions of search engines at its bosom, as well as its roles and methods. to design them as gates.  On the other hand, because of the network's openness, and perhaps because of it, and because of its strong decentralization, it has not been able to defend the "puritanism" that has accompanied it since its inception. terrorist in practice.

The problem of information security is no longer, in this aspect, the monopoly of the company, in order to preserve its databases from any targeting, but it has also become a strong bet and a major challenge for states and governments.  Consequently, the confrontation between security interests and extremist organizations is no longer confined to the real and tangible space, but a part of it has moved to take refuge from the network, and a ground for virtual wars to come. 

Internet architecture and environment

1- The first element of this structure is the search engine, and it is determined by comparison with its internal structure and design program, and is also determined by referring to the functions and roles it performs within the network. 

So, in its basic structure, it is a set of information software (or algorithms in our parlance) that can roam the web space, collect data and data in all its forms, types and sizes (written, audio and video), index and classify them, and make them a material for navigation and navigation. 

There are three main functions that the search engine must adopt, whatever function it relies on: the collection of information first, by means of huge robots, operating in spider programs, which capture everything that circulates on the network, according to the keys that were assigned to it in the design phase, then to index it in a second step, in order to create a database, to be integrated into it by means of the "indexer" program , based on the approved standards, and then program the engine in a third step, in order to search it for the web pages that the indexing program has created in the index database; It displays the search result in the form of specially organized web pages. 

2- In addition to search engines, we find portals, which are based on the collection of information and its provision to users, as well as the provision of certain parallel or additional services.  From there, the portal of a site, but its function is to present the data and the data collected, while providing links with the addresses of other research sites, or web pages that have a link with this one .

The portal is supposed to be formulated in a professional and attractive manner to encourage visitors to visit it, browse and then browse again by themselves within the site. 

It is possible to distinguish several types of portals, with reference to the specific goals and objectives to be achieved:

Public portals: These portals meet the needs of the general population of the network, and only collect and classify different websites, and facilitate access to them for Internet users. 

Specialized portals: It is a purely category, that is, it targets a category of users in a specific field, such as sports, the professions of librarians and information specialists, libraries, or otherwise. 

Through these portals one can find thousands of blogs, which are not much different from Internet sites (although they differ with them in wording and form), the owners of which record their memoirs, impressions, thoughts and what they think about. 

3- On the other hand, if we admit that the first generation of the Web is the generation of interaction par excellence between the sender and the receiver, albeit in part, then the second and third generations of the Web go back to the post.  - The interaction stage, as a new stage in the relationship of the Internet with its users, with its contents and with publishing on its pages, i.e. its size, shape or nature. 

In the first generation, we were on the Internet facing a borderline relationship between content producer and consumer, through rudimentary communication tools, such as webmaster mail, or at best by email.  Therefore, the flow was one-sided and the interaction was restricted to a few electronic forums, where the owners had to say/decide on the format and content.

Since 2005, all Internet users have been able to play the role of sender and receiver of content, so that information has started to flow in two directions, based on the principle of the prevailing and advanced mediator, to the detriment of the mediator principle. 

The case with the last two generations of the Internet is that interactivity has been circumvented, in favor of the direct participation of Internet users, in the production and presentation of the content of this World Wide Web.  This is what has come to be called the "post-interactive internet"; Hence the great fluidity and increasing abundance of information, to which digitization technologies and compression and recovery programs have contributed.  

The basic characteristics of the post-interactive Internet is that there is no longer any connection between the Internet and the browser, but the trend is for all informational developments to take into account a form of advanced sharing, where the user owns and controls the data and developers with a design angle, spread all over the world, They stand out and enjoy a high degree.  They are independent in their activities, without relying too much on their institutions, nor on the hierarchical hierarchy, on the level of the patterns of organization that they depend on or work on the basis of.

Thus, inasmuch as the web has gradually transformed into a smart web, it has, by all means, transformed from an intermediary between the producer and the receiver into a "middle", that is, into a space in which functions and roles are defined, so much so that the logic and logic of the environment dominate the logic and statement of the 

Internet security problem

1- Information security, from a purely theoretical point of view, is the science that studies theories and strategies for protecting information from the risks that threaten it and against offensive activities.  From a technical point of view, these are the means, tools and procedures that must be provided to ensure the protection of information from dangers emanating from inside or outside.  In legal terms, it is a set of laws, regulations, and procedures that aim to protect information from illegal activities, such as information crimes, the Internet, and others. 

This has been the case since ancient times, and there was a great need (I mean for information security) in light of the information explosion that humanity has been experiencing since the eighties.  - the twenties of the last century.

There are four main areas of the IT environment that are often targeted, hacked, sabotaged or destroyed:

Hardware: It is the physical equipment and tools on which information is installed or used to exploit, store or promote available information.

Programs: It is the software engine of information systems and the flexible tool to operate it and store data and information through it.

Then data: it is the living material that is polarized and stored within the system, in raw or pure form after processing.

In addition to the direct physical targeting that some terrorist organizations may resort to (such as destroying infrastructure or targeting switching centers and transmitters), the major risks lie in the methods of spreading viruses and worms through hackers and thieves who specialize in stealing electronic chips.  , or implementing the ticking bomb principle or something else.

Because there are many types of risks and threats, methods and tools to keep information safe (including encryption inevitably), whether it is related to the world of finance or business, or sensitive government information sites, if any.  Perhaps the most important of these tools is the firewall as the most effective option available.

The meaning of the principle of firewalls is that it is a software application that specifically monitors all data and information that arrives at a server (server) over the Internet, with the aim of protecting the data in it, or any other server connected to a network.  Therefore, it performs the function of sorting, filtering, filtering, and filtering all data coming from the outside, according to the rules provided by the firewall software, such as numeric addresses, domain names, and protocols used in communications. 

However, despite its efficiency and accuracy in fending off targeting network actors, it remains relatively effective. The more technology manufacturers develop, the higher the accuracy and efficiency of walls. Hackers and thieves have found "backdoors" to pass through.

2- We do not have data on government websites with a security function, websites of ministries of interior, police facilities, intelligence agencies, etc. Most of the time, they do not have their own websites, not only for purely security reasons, but also because they often work in hiding and classify their information as a state secret. 

In Arab countries that have designed websites for some of their security interests on the Internet (for example, the website of the Lebanese army); The portal or the site is limited to some administrative and technical information, and some quotations, without presenting documentary materials or important data, on which the classification of the "portal" is built.  While browsing the portal of the French Ministry of the Interior, for example, we actually encounter an integrated portal; Where the login page is of interest, links are available and page content is included. 

3- On the other hand, security services on the Internet have great advantages and potential for employment, which can go beyond the obvious hesitation between the two parties at first glance: they can prevent or block many sites that appear to them (with regard to laws and legislation) as immoral or threatening civil peace or violate the requirements of public  Security interests deal with this angle, purely preventive, but at the same time selective and directed.

Then, by surfing them on the Internet, he can monitor criminal sites that circumvent the law (trafficking drugs or human beings in particular), so that he can monitor them and follow their movements, until they are neutralized collectively or en masse. the details. 

In addition to all this, you can use the network to help locate and coordinate methods between extremist and terrorist groups that own the network to promote their discourse or to communicate among their members. 

In addition to the above, it can provide databases which, when checked with data received from foreign security interests, can provide effective tools to prevent criminals and terrorists from disintegrating and traveling.

The proactive aspect is considered essential from the point of view of security interests, but it raises and points to the problem of the freedom of individuals and groups, and their constitutional right to confidentiality of information related to them.  This is confirmed by many international laws, which do not allow the monitoring of e-mail accounts, for example, only in cases where there is information about possible risks or received. 

On the other hand, extremist movements are also concerned with the issue of security and protection of their information, especially with regard to media programs of an espionage nature.  A common tactic is to install proxies (to circumvent website blocking) and software to erase traces of addresses and messages. Then, when he knows his messages are being monitored, he turns to the regular addresses in Hotmail and Yahoo, and runs the trash file; Since messages are not sent, but are stored in this file. It is off the grid.  Heavy use of the Google search engine, it also warns of the heavy use of the "Google Video" bar.

extremist movements on the Internet

1- It is not easy to determine the number of extremist movements in the world, nor to count the websites and blogs behind them on the Internet. The difficulty here comes from the generations of the term extremism or terrorism, mainly due to the movement of the same movements, the regular change of surnames, and its displacement from place to place, and from site to site. 

The available statistics do not differentiate between one organization and another, nor between the activist within it in practice and the activist in discourse only, but rather take all of them into consideration, including the “jihadist websites” created by the so-called “radical political Islam.” groups.  Most of these sites (estimated between 4,000 and 6,000 sites) focus on the ideological aspect, and their discourse revolves around the threats of adversaries and enemies, without forgetting the “specialized” sites in psychological and emotional recruitment aimed at attracting and attracting new ones. members. 

We cannot be certain of a relationship between the emergence of the Internet and its direct use by extremist movements, but there is evidence that since the events of September 11, 2001, the number and activity of these movements has increased, and their use has increased.  The Internet has evolved, both in sound and in image.

The “military nature” of the new terrorism (network terrorism) is done by using the Internet to obtain information, obtain financing and donations, recruit and mobilize supporters, as well as achieve organizational interdependence between and within groups, and exchange information. ideas and proposals.  And field information about how to reach and penetrate the target, manufacture explosives, plan and coordinate terrorist action, as well as destroy counter-internet sites, break into vital institutions or disrupt electronic government services, power stations or other services. 

2- The purposes and goals of extremist movements that use the Internet are determined by the nature of the virtual wars that these movements have declared against countries and governments, either in parallel with their operations on the ground, or through the extension of these same operations in time. and space. 

It is a tool of psychological warfare to spread terror, through a careful and deliberate mixture of news, rumors, information and disinformation; Between intimidation and the threat of being targeted, these movements succeed in intimidating their opponents and spreading panic in them. 

It resorts to the formula of semi-declared war, seeking to inculcate a "culture of jihad and martyrdom," especially when the same organizations in their localities promote the commandments of the perpetrators of the operations, and their "high status and rank with God.  and the "heroes" who accomplished it against the enemy.

Furthermore, the network gives these movements the means to share strategic and vital information with their members, or with those who seek to join them. Where one finds on their sites documents such as "Terrorists' Manual", "How to Design a Bomb" and "Encyclopedia of Jihad", without neglecting the training methods and behaviors of joining these movements and using the network to explore new ways to obtain funding, or to present it to the members of the organization spread throughout the world, or turn it into destinations that get ammunition and  Knowing that American service providers sell their services all over the world, and that these movements hide behind different names, it is easy to realize that it is very difficult to identify these sites, or the nature of the legal owners behind them.

In addition, the control of "engineers" on these movements in information mechanisms and network technologies makes them circumvent encryption and monitoring methods, not only by changing sites, but by disguising themselves within sites, blogs and forums that are difficult to think of.  The extent to which the movements may resort, such as tourist, recreational or sexual locations. or whatever. Thus, the network has become a "base" by all criteria, by which the strategy and means are determined, by which coordination is carried out, and the methods of implementation are determined. 

3- Al-Qaeda did not ignore the importance of the Internet, nor did it diminish its effectiveness and employability, especially after its role in Afghanistan was neutralized, its members dispersed, and many of its leaders were killed. 

In fact, the nature and structure of the network corresponds to the nature and structure of the base, at least in terms of the apparent structure and structure: the Internet is a horizontal network, and the flow of information within it is not subject to the traditional hierarchical method, but rather to the standards and specifications of the flexible horizontal method, everyone is behind him, producer of information and now consuming it  Al-Qaeda, in turn, has become an organization that, since the attack on Afghanistan, has become a horizontal organization, within which directives do not come from a fixed and rigid hierarchy, or from a "head of planning. Consulting at a high level. 

The Internet, like the base, operates according to the principles of decentralization, flexibility, fluidity and role distribution. This is evident since this organization established semi-independent branches in Iraq, the Gulf and the Arab Maghreb, with the possibility of forming a transcontinental network of all sizes, each operating in its own right, independently of the center. 

The immaterial nature of the network (and not being based on a tangible geography) not only guarantees confidentiality, but also enables the circumvention of security services, which are lost in a sea of data, and cannot accurately determine responsibilities. 

The full contents of al-Qaeda websites do not appear on the Web, due to the reliance of the organization's engineers on design specifications that search engines cannot capture or capture from security and intelligence interests.  Many of the base's websites remain within the domain of the "Deep Web," meaning the most used search engines, whose databases cover only 10 to 15 percent of the Internet's content.  This percentage is the visible web, while 85 to 90 percent is due to the so-called hidden or deep web. (4)

The importance of the hidden web here stems from the fact that it contains important information, as it is specialized and formulated in a professional manner. Therefore, in order to obtain their contents, it is necessary to use databases, data bank services, specialized or vertical portals, to resort to multiple engines (mea engines in network parlance), such as Turbo10, for example, which employs more than 1000 search engines.

The "engineers" of al-Qaeda's websites, like other extremist organizations, are highly skilled in using various techniques to circumvent monitoring and tracking, limiting the methods of browsing al-Qaeda's websites to only those who know their address or email address. password.  It says here that one of the 9/11 attackers used free Hotmail, but wrote the message and put it in the trash; And the rest of the authors of the process saw its contents, without the security services being able to capture or monitor it, for a simple reason: that it was not originally sent, but rather they were consulted in the basket itself. 

Encryption systems and software espoused by terrorist movements are often difficult to crack, and it can take anywhere from a year to a year and a half on average. This indicates that these movements have skilled engineers designing these systems and programs, and they have the ability to change their electronic scheme and bypass anticipation and surveillance. 

Moreover, having many computers available to the general public, such as those of Internet cafes, universities, public libraries, etc., makes it difficult to reach the user/terrorist who sent the message; Terrorist websites move from one server to another and from one website address to another address, to avoid attacks by government and willing hackers.  This is a case of hit-and-run and guerrilla warfare. Where the location changes once it is targeted, or it senses being tracked.

Al Qaeda is adept at mixing the science and art of using the net, explains Aaron Weisbord, a specialist in monitoring "Radical Islam" Online Behavior: A Small Al Qaeda Handbook Obtained by the US Army.  Entering Afghanistan, he says: "Using available public resources, without resorting to illegal methods, we can obtain at least 80% of information about our enemy.

This section alone is sufficient to show the benefits and risks of the Internet, which arise from the intelligent use of it by terrorist organisations.

Destroying the sites of extremist movements on the network is useless, because the closed sites do not hesitate to create other sites immediately after the closure, or after a few days, and the enormity of the network and the enormity of its content allows these movements to guarantee complete secrecy, without the possibility of accurately controlling them. 

On the other hand, the Internet is not a faceless world: every connection to it leaves traces of addresses and addressing protocols. Which gives information about its owner and determines its location, but on the condition that the information is exploited very quickly. As a result, the Americans obtained massive and accurate information, but they could not exploit it at the required speed, as evidenced by the fact that all the information related to the September 11 strike was available, but it was not exploited to anticipate the strike. 

These are the hypothetical wars that have been fought for some time, in which no one can claim to be able to win between them, by "KO".