Cyber Primer

Cyber threats
Using Twitter to manipulate politics and e-commerce
Who
What
How
Against
whom
Why
It appears to have been an alleged state-encouraged Syrian attack directed
through Twitter at the United States political and economic stability. The Syrian
Electronic Army have also reportedly attacked the al Jazeera news agency,
Reuters and the BBC. Their most recent high profile attack (5 June 2015) was
against the United States Army’s public website.
Using fake Twitter accounts with a web-based interface, where the real
Associated Press Twitter account uses the SociaFlow application.
Media reports that the fake account was initially taken as genuine by those
who did not read or understand the process used by the Associated Press to
broadcast news on Twitter.
Main attack was against the Associated Press, causing reputational damage.
The aim appears to have been to discredit the Associated Press and other news
agencies which picked up the story as correct, without adequate authentication.
When 23 April 2013; previous attacks had occurred since April 2012.
Impact
Allegedly low impact to the Associated Press but high publicity value to Syrian
Electronic Army and it disrupted the stock market. According to media reports,
later attacks led to a degree of cooperation between the Syrian Electronic Army
and Anonymous (a loosely associated international network of activists and
hacktivists), although each has also reportedly attacked the other’s websites.
This attack emphasises the unreliability of uncorroborated stories broadcast on
the Internet and the viability of news organisations as targets for hacktivists.
More
information
A commentary on this specific attack is at: http://www.slashgear.com/twitterand-syrian-electronic-army-go-to-battle-23278926/
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