Cyberwars

Could Online Presence Betray ISIS’ Intentions?

ISIS is well-known for its extensive use of technology and social media in the organisation’s efforts to fill its ranks. But have you ever wondered how the recruiting efforts of the jihadi army work online? So did a team of researchers from the University of Miami who have developed a model to identify behavioural patterns among online groups of ISIS supporters. These models, they hope, could help police and counter-terror agencies paint a clearer picture of their activity, including hints and indicators for when a real-world attack is imminent.

The team identified and analysed 196 pro-ISIS groups during the first eight months of 2015. They tracked second-by-second online activity and came to realise that even though most of the 108,000 members of these groups have likely never met, they were surprisingly adaptive and could extend the longevity of the groups, increase their number, quickly relaunch after being shut down, and inspire “lone wolf” attacks by people with no history of extremism.