How does the ISIS control the Internet?

The ISIS, exactly as any other government, has adopted measures to control the access to the Internet in the territories occupied.

In these hours we are discussing the tragic Paris attacks, we are trying to collect the greatest amount of information as possible about the organization of the ISIS. How does the ISIS conduct its propaganda? Which are the communication channels they use? Which will be the next target?

Researching the topic on the web I have found an interesting post published by the Israel homeland Security website. We all know that the Western intelligence run Internet surveillance program and many governments apply a strict censorship on the online activities of their population. Probably the majority of you has read about the “The Great Firewall of China,” one of the most sophisticated surveillance system that is used by the Chinese Government to monitor the online activities of the population and block all the content not aligned with the policy of Beijing.

The Russian government has its surveillance system known as SORM exactly like the British government that manage a network of systems used to screen internet activities, experts refer it with the term “Hadrian’s Firewall.”

The question is … does the ISIS block online activities in the territories it has occupied? How does it do?

The response is affirmative, the ISIS also controls and block Internet access from its region, it monitors the flow of information in and out of the provinces it occupies.

The mechanism is simple and effective, the self-proclaimed caliphate has banned every private access to the Internet.

“Since earlier in the year, ISIL has been monitoring access to the internet – quite literally, access to the internet itself. Previously, in cities likes Raqqa, Syria, “people would go to the cafes and pay money for internet and have a password or a username,” said Abu Ibrahim al-Raqqawi – an activist with the group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. “They were sitting in their homes and could access the internet” connecting to WiFi extenders operated by many neighbourhood internet cafes.” states the post published on the Israel homeland Security.

Basically every individual that wants to go online need to use a computer in an Internet cafè where he is tracked. The members of the ISIS in an unpredictable way inspect internet cafes and the machine used by the local people to check none has violated its rules.

Now, private internet access in banned. To go online, “you need to go to the internet cafe and you need to have your ID and they will register your name, the time you enter, and the time you’re out,” says Raqqawi, who uses a pseudonym.

Each offender is punished, and we all know the methods of ISIS.

Pierluigi Paganini

(Security Affairs – Paris attacks, ISIS)