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Security agencies
The Empire Strikes Back
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   
Hackers are being targeted for attack by US and UK security authorities eager to launch a cyber counteroffensive to kick them off the net Pete Warren reports

Appeared in the The Guardian, Thursday 4 June 2009   

Hackers who attack defence or commercial computers in the US and UK in future may be in for a surprise: a counterattack, authorised and carried out by the police and defence agencies that aims to disrupt and even knock them off the net.

The secret plans, prompted by the explosion in the number of computer-crime incidents from east Asia targeting commercially or politically sensitive information, are known as "strikeback", and are intended to target hackers' computers and disrupt them, in some cases involving denial of service attacks.

 
Al Qaeda turns to organised crime
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   

Peter Warren

Sunday July 22, 2007

Sunday Express

 

Al Qaeda has turned to online gangsters that are part of the Russian mafia to help it move its money around the web and develop extremist websites.

The online gangs, which routinely deal in online pornography, credit card theft, ID fraud and paedophilia have been recruited by Al-Qaeda to help run its extremist websites and protect them from the security services, and to help fund raise for the terrorists.

“The Russian mafia have developed a network of computer sites that are very well secured so that they are protected from law-enforcement to run their illicit sex sites

 
Chinese hackers attack UK Houses of Parliament
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   
Winner BT Security News Story of the year award 2007

Last year, the UK's Houses of Parliament nearly fell victim to a sophisticated hacking fraud. Experts are convinced that such attacks have the support of Chinese authorities

Published Thursday January 19, 2006 under headline 'Smash and grab the high-tech way' The Guardian

 
UK police pressure Voip companies to yield customer data
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   

voip

Published Thursday July 27, 2006 - Guardian under headline 'Lifting the veil on internet voices'

Police and intelligence agencies are lobbying hard for means of snooping on internet-based telephony, arguing that they need them to catch criminals, reports Peter Warren


 
Government v technology: an uneasy history
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   

Published in Guardian, Thursday July 27, 2006

Companion box to preceeding piece. 

The advent of steam-powered road vehicles prompted the 1865 Locomotives on Highways Act, which required a man carrying a red flag to walk 50 metres ahead of a self-propelled road vehicle , and set maximum speed limits of 4mph in the country and 2mph in town. 

 
How mobile phones let spies see our every move
Security agencies
Written by Peter Warren   
Article first appeared in Observer under joint byline of Jason Burke and Pete Warren.

Government's secret Celldar project will allow surveillance of anyone, at any time and anywhere there is a phone signal.