The Daeshgram hacking group says its goal is to spread distrust among ISIS supporters. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus)
A group of Iraqi computer hackers has launched a cyberoperation against the ISIS terror group by slipping pornographic images into its official communication channels, according to a report published this week.
Members of the hacker group, which calls itself Daeshgram (a play on an Arabic acronym many use to describe ISIS), told Newsweek that the goal is to show distrust among ISIS supporters about messages from the group's leadership.
In one instance, the hackers photoshopped an image of a naked woman into an announcement about the opening of a media center in ISIS-controlled Syria. The altered image made it appear that the ISIS extremists were viewing pornography.
Syria tries 'terror rehab' to de-radicalize ISIS militants
National security analyst Ryan Mauro weighs in
Daeshgram's most prominent target is Amaq, which one hacker described as "a so-called news agency" for ISIS. The group forced the site offline with a denial-of-service attack before creating an exact replica of the page with messages mocking the terror group's ideology.
"Daesh responded by telling supporters not to trust any of the Amaq links," a hacker told the magazine. "They even had fights among themselves about the topic and deleted each other from various groups."
"Go on [encrypted messaging app] Telegram and you will see that Daesh are confused about Amaq and don’t trust it," the Daeshgram hacker added. "So we think we have been successful to an extent, and we are only six people."
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.