Terrorists May Be Using Gaming Platforms to Plan Attacks: Cyber Agency
Jakarta. Terrorists may be using online gaming platforms to communicate within their networks to plan attacks, the National Cyber and Encryption Agency, or BSSN, said on Thursday (12/07).
According to BSSN spokesman Anton Setiawan, while the finding is relatively new, there are indications that the November 2015 attacks in Paris could have been plotted through encrypted messages on a PlayStation 4 console.
"Now with the recent developments in online gaming, the potential is even bigger," Anton told reporters on the sidelines of the 2018 International Defense Science Seminar (IIDSS), BeritaSatu.com reported.
However, the popularity of these platforms, especially among youth, makes it difficult for governments to take immediate action to prevent them from being misused, or to block them, he added.
According to Anton, other online gaming platforms, such as Clash of Clans and World of Warcraft, could potentially be used by terrorists.
BSSN is currently working with researchers and experts to detect any kind of terrorist activity as early as possible, including in online gaming and other communication apps.
The agency is also stepping up international cooperation in counterterrorism, especially with its counterparts in Malaysia and Singapore.
"We have obtained information from them. This is what we are anticipating at the moment, but if [these apps] are indeed used, it [the criminal activity] will be more difficult to detect," Anton said.
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