Terrorists' Communication Tool, Playstation?!

After Friday’s horrific terror attacks on Paris, security experts are weighing the frightening possibility that Sony’s PlayStation 4 has become a communication tool for terrorists.

Three days before Friday’s terrifying events in the French capital, Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon warned that terrorists have harnessed the popular game console to pass messages between each other, making communications difficult, if not impossible for intelligence experts to track.

“The most difficult communication between these terrorists is via PlayStation 4,” said Jambon at a conference organized by Politico. “It’s very, very difficult for our services — not only Belgian services but international services — to decrypt the communication that is done via PlayStation 4.”

Experts agree that Sony’s PlayStation 4 poses a huge challenge for governments’ security services.

“There is no doubt that terrorists and other underground networks are using PlayStation and other non-traditional means to communicate with each other,” said Paul Martini, CEO of cyber security specialist iboss Cybersecurity, in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. The CEO noted that the languages and protocols that PlayStation uses to communicate over the Internet are much different from those used in web browsers and other apps. “They are typically encrypted communication channels that are built on custom-designed languages built for speed and security - since PlayStation involves multi-player Internet connected users, it’s very distributed, high speed and difficult to track and monitor,” Martini added.

Police reportedly seized at least one PlayStation 4 during a series of raids that followed Friday’s attacks.

In addition to the PlayStation Network’s encrypted text and voice communication, experts warn that terrorists could also use other methods to pass messages within games.

“ISIS could use PlayStation to communicate with each other undetected, using the shooting of video game bullets to form messages,” said Ebba Blitz, president of encryption-as-a-service company Alertsec, in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. “That's because as far as we know, there are no automated detection systems sophisticated enough to intercept or monitor messages that are concealed as images or patterns in video games.”

“Anything which allows two people to exchange messages (whether it be talking, typing or waving semaphore flags at each other in a 3D virtual environment) could potentially be used by terrorists to communicate,” added Independent Security Expert Graham Cluley, in an email to FoxNews.com.

Sony PlayStation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies, told FoxNews.com that gaming networks in general can offer an alternate channel of communication for the likes of terrorists, along with a host of other technologies. “National Security Administration people that I've spoken to over the years have bemoaned the rising tide of difficult-to-decipher digital interchange, from voice, encrypted or not,” he said, noting that encrypted, encoded text and messages embedded in pictures are also employed. “At this point, the bad guys are outrunning the good because there are just too many channels to monitor,” he added.

The New York Times, citing documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, reported in 2013 that British and American spies had infiltrated online game “World of Warcraft” and virtual world Second Life in an attempt to conduct surveillance.

The NSA also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Joystick jihad: Sony's PlayStation 4 could be terrorists' communication tool, experts warn | Fox News

I had not thought about using a video game chat or multi-player game as a means to communicate between individuals or groups...... The article made me wonder, what other ideas some here may have in regards to non-traditional means of communications?! Has anyone already incorporated this method using a gaming system into their plans?

 

Someone on the editorial desk woke up in a time warp.

 

My GrandKids have been using Gaming Comms, with their friends for a couple of years.... They even wrote an Encryption Plug-in to make it fairly secure... Pretty smart kids are just that, Pretty Smart....

 

stego comes to mind --

 

Yes. I've been trying to get others interested, but they mostly whine and say, "oh, I don't play video games..."

But, it's a communication tool, and a darn good one. Until the .GOV hacks infest them and pretty much find a way to make the developers spy on its users, in which case, users will drop out and the company will hemorrhage money. And remember, kiddos...terrorism isn't real --I mean it's entirely controlled by the corporate establishment and its black ops secret government.

 

MonkeyNet uses our own Program, called STEGO.exe... to embed Data in .JPGs & .PNGs... It is very effective in distributing OnePADs, and PG KeySets, to our MonkeyNet Members.... SKYPE was originally part of MonkeyNet, but was dropped, when the Technology was sold to MicroSquash, and the Software was then compromised, by them. We haven't really update MonkeyNet recently, as the basic Technology, is still reasonably Secure. This is one of the Projects I am going to work on this winter.

 

Only SECURE, IF and ONLY IF, the Messages are Stored encrypted, and only you and the Other guy Have the KeySets to the Encryption.... Otherwise it can be compromised by ANY outsider that can get to the Server, via hacking, OR Search Warrant.... do you really think that this is a good way to communicate?

 

If the NSA is watching your IP Address, and logging all your outgoing Traffic, they are going to see the Server you are looking using, and then the Hack, or Search Warrant, can be applied, and you are compromised. Then they just watch the Server to see who else logs in to that Account, and follow that IP Address, right back to the other Guy.... This can be done even if the Messages themselves are encrypted... Servers are a BAD way to go with SECURE Messaging... They are a vulnerable, to monitoring, and "Man in the Middle" attacks into the SECURE Messaging.... Much better to use PtP Encryption, and Messaging, from Random DarkNet IP Addresses...

 

OK for muni systems, probably not so good on septic tanks. Just sayin' ---