The head of GCHQ spoke to Sky News about a secret cyber operation, targeting the Islamic State. The mission of this operation is to target the group’s ability to fly drones, meddle with their phones and affect their propaganda. General Sir Patrick Sanders has warned the UK, that social media is being used to sow division, spread conspiracy theories and “tear the fabric of society apart”.
Both sanders and Jeremy Fleming, director at GCHQ, spoke about the new force on a podcast on Sky News, titled “Into the Grey Zone”. They claim the operation could help protect the UK from any disinformation being spread online. Mr Fleming said: “I think it sends a really strong signal that we and our allies we’re not going to leave cyberspace as an uncontested place. We have to defend it. We have to make sure it’s as secure as possible. We have to make sure that it is still underpinning our commerce, our economy, our society and our communities.
IS has been terrorising the world for several years, and have used the internet to spread terror and attract recruits with promises of a better life. The United States, the UK and other allies went on the offensive online a while ago, although this is the first time this has been publicly acknowledged and openly spoken about.
