Tech Against Terrorism

Blog Post: ISKP’s Online and Militant Operations are Inextricably Linked The online activities of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP)’s robust and expanding propaganda apparatus directly strengthen its operational capacity to inflict violence locally, regionally, and in...

✍️ NEW BLOG POST | ISKP’s Online and Militant Operations are Inextricably Linked

We’re excited to launch our blog series, which will showcase insights from TAT experts and leading voices in the field

Lucas Webber, a Senior Threat Intelligence Analyst at TAT, writes our first post: bit.ly/TATbpsb1lw

💻 Webinar | Under the Umbrella: The Significance of Unofficial Media Outlets in Terrorists' Use of the Internet

The webinar will explore the proliferation of unofficial VI propaganda outlets and how such networks exploit social media, encrypted applications, and TOWs

Register here: bit.ly/UtUTSUM

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | The Evolution of the Islamic State: From Regional Force to Global Threat

In this episode, Lucas Webber is joined by Aaron Zelin to chart how IS expanded beyond the Middle East, using technology, propaganda, and local affiliates to spread its ideology globally

Listen: bit.ly/tat4e7x

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | The Dark Side of Drone Tech: How Extremists Are Exploiting UAVs

Don Rassler joins Lucas Webber to discuss how terrorist organisations are using drones, the evolving threat landscape, and the countermeasures being developed to mitigate these risks.

Link: bit.ly/tat4e5

📝 Would you like to write for Tech Against Terrorism?

Whether you are an academic, independent researcher, or a professional with an institutional affiliation we want to hear from you!

Click here to submit your proposal: lnkd.in/dagzWsaB

Pakistan's Arrest Of Islamic State Operative Signals Renewed U.S. Cooperation The arrest of an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militant who is suspected of helping plan an attack against the U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2021 marks an upturn in strained ties between Washington an...

📰 IN THE NEWS | Pakistan's Arrest Of Islamic State Operative

Read Lucas Webber's (Senior Intelligence Analyst at Tech Against Terrorism) insights on @rferl.org.web.brid.gy here: www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-a...

Don't miss out on our upcoming webinar! 👉 2025 Online Threat Landscape: Forecasting Terrorism and Violent Extremism Trends.

📅 Date: Thursday, 6 March 2025
⏰ Time: 1530 GMT | 1630 CET | 0730 PT

More info here: techagainstterrorism.org/events/webin...

🇫🇷 Join us in Lille for the Trust & Safety #InCyberForum!

Click the link for more info: trust-safety.forum-incyber.com
Click the link to register for our workshops: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | Game On: How Simulations are Enhancing Counter-Terrorism Responses

In this episode, Lucas Webber is joined by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross and Eleanor Ross of Valens Games

They discuss how immersive wargames are shaping the future of counterterrorism training

Listen here: bit.ly/tat4e4

📰 Would you like to join the Tech Against Terrorism team?

We are currently looking for a Press and Strategic Engagement Lead. Click here for more info: app.screenloop.com/careers/quan...

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | The Rise of Jihadism in Central Asia

Lucas Webber is joined by @pannierb.bsky.social to map the history of terrorism in Central Asia

They explore:
💡 The origins of jihadism in Central Asia
💡 The rise of ISKP
💡 The impact of the Assad government’s fall

Listen here: bit.ly/TATep3

🎙️ How New Technologies Are Fueling Terrorism

Have you tuned in to our podcast episode with
@colinpclarke.bsky.social & Clara Broekaert?

Find out:
🔎 How terrorists are using 3D printers
🔎 Why quantum computing poses an underestimated risk
🔎 The truth about AI misuse by terrorists

bit.ly/TATep2

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | How New Technologies Are Fueling Terrorism

Lucas Webber is joined by experts @colinpclarke.bsky.social and Clara Broekaert to explore how emerging technologies are transforming the threat landscape and what’s next on the horizon

Listen here: bit.ly/TATep2

YouTube video by Tech Against Terrorism BBC Radio 5: Southport attack, freedom of speech, and purchasing weapons online

📻 This morning, our Executive Director joined BBC Radio 5 to discuss pressing issues surrounding online radicalisation, the Southport attack, and the urgent need for stricter regulations on weapon sales online.

Listen to the full interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGDG...

Davos calling. And yes, this is real. From Idlib to Davos in 6 weeks 🤯

Role of US servicemen in acts of extremist violence under scrutiny Active duty servicemen and veterans statistically most likely demographic to be ‘mass casualty offender’

➡️ “The Islamic State has aggressively and persistently leveraged hostile sentiments stirred up by the Israeli military response to Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack and the subsequent prolonged conflict"

Read our latest interview on @theguardian.com here: bit.ly/42k3Iv8

💰 How do terrorist organisations raise, store and transfer finances?

To find out, listen to our latest podcast episode "Disrupting Terrorist Financing in the Digital Age" featuring Dr Jessica Davis (President and Principal Consultant at Insight Threat Intelligence.

Listen here: bit.ly/3ClX6Sj

Highlights: Caretaker government breaks up first Islamic State cell since fall of regime, Ahmad al-Shar'a meets delegations from Oman and Lebanon, Syrian caretaker FM travels to Saudi Arabia again, among other things

ISIS supporters report new wave of Telegram channel & account deletions totaling several thousand over past 2 days.
In latest purge, Telegram Messenger removed a resurgent network targeted earlier this year, as well as core Islamic State channels active for several years

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | Disrupting Terrorist Financing in the Digital Age

Introducing Season 4 of the Tech Against Terrorism Podcast!

Join Lucas Webber in conversation with the internationally renowned terrorism finance expert Dr Jessica Davis

Listen here: bit.ly/TAT4ep1

🔊 ANNOUNCEMENT | Season 4 of our podcast launches tomorrow!

Join us as we speak to the world’s leading experts in this field to uncover the latest insights, research, and strategies for tackling online extremism

Press play to listen to a snippet of Episode 1 featuring Dr Jessica Davis ⤵️

Quote: “IS, its branches and pro-IS propaganda outlets have continued to heavily focus on the United States as a leading enemy and top priority target. Given IS’s evolving online guidance activities, it’s vital for governments to build open-source intelligence capabilities to identify and disrupt plots.”

📰 IN THE NEWS | Deadly New Orleans attack underscores looming threat of IS attacks in the US

Lucas Webber, our senior threat intelligence analyst, shared his insights with The Guardian about the potential threat posed by IS to the US

Read the full article here: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

The New Orleans and Las Vegas attacks show stark media bias: Jabbar's act labeled terrorism, Livelsberger's a "mental health tragedy." Our research finds Muslim-perpetrated attacks receive more coverage and are more often framed as ideological.

Full paper: pt.icct.nl/article/unco...

To be fair to Meta these bots have been around for some time without there being many issues. Perhaps best to get ahead and set good standards.

Question is: what are those standards and how can we encourage all platforms to adopt a common approach to GenAI profiles?

GenerativeAI is potentially a game-changer for content moderation - deploying it cost-effectively is the biggest challenge!

More generally SaaS products that integrate GenAI are going to struggle with passing on the variable costs associated with features enhanced by LLMs

The IRGC and Hezbollah's 'Forces of the Friends' in Syria: Interview with a Veteran During the course of the war in Syria, one of the main contingents of forces fighting on the side of the Assad regime was the so-called ‘Forces of the Friends’ (Arabic: Quwat al-Asdiqa’): that is, for...

My first post for 2025: extended interview w/a person from al-Zabadani who served in IRGC & Hezbollah-backed Syrian formations known as the 'Forces of the Friends'. Topics discussed include motives for signing up,service conditions,relations w/4th Division www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/the-irgc-a...

One Year of the Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map The possibility of more terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, foreign fighter mobilizations in Africa, and dangerous ripple effects from U.S. military reshuffles in Iraq and Syria are among the many rev...

Check out my new article with Ilana Winter for @washinstitute.bsky.social: "Analyzing One Year of the Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map Data" www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

Beyond Content Moderation: The Urgent Need to Stop Terrorist-Operated Websites Our Executive Director, Adam Hadley, addressed the Internet Governance Forum 2024, offering critical insights into the ever-evolving threat landscape and the vital work of Tech Against Terrorism.

🗞️ NEW Article | Beyond Content Moderation: The Urgent Need to Stop Terrorist-Operated Websites

"But what's most concerning isn't just the volume of content—it's how terrorist organisations are transforming from internet users into infrastructure operators."

techagainstterrorism.org/news/beyond-...

New Orleans Attack Underscores Critical Need to Strengthen Global Counterterrorism Capabilities Following the recent attack in New Orleans, USA, Tech Against Terrorism has highlighted the urgent need for enhanced counterterrorism resources, particularly in open-source intelligence (OSINT) capabi...

📰 Press Release | New Orleans Attack Underscores Critical Need to Strengthen Global Counterterrorism Capabilities

Following the attack in New Orleans, Tech Against Terrorism highlights the need for enhanced counterterrorism resources

Read our analysis: techagainstterrorism.org/news/new-orl...

✍️ What does the term 'Media Jihad' mean?

We are revisiting some of our top podcast episodes this year

Joined by Lucas Webber, we unpacked the term “media Jihad” to understand the role of pro-IS online networks in waging its propaganda war

Listen here: www.buzzsprout.com/1684819/epis...