Israeli Military Restricts Soldiers on How to Use Social Media

The IDF has said it found Hamas using techniques of uploading fake profiles on social-networking websites for hacking into soldiers' cell-phones while pulling out sensitive details.

The fake profiles are often young women pretending to want doing "Aliyah" to Israel, thereby luring fighting soldiers to interact with them. But when the applications are downloaded onto the cell-phones, the false women fade away while communication with the warriors is snapped. Generally, the profiles utilized beautiful women's pictures for drawing the warriors' attention -the trick referred to as 'honeypot' scam.

IDF soldiers received the messages from the fake accounts over the Internet. The messages would be romantic encouraging the soldiers to download apps so they may engage in video conservations, explain senior officers of the military intelligence as The Jerusalem Post cites. Rt.com posted this, January 11, 2017.

Unfortunately, when the applications are downloaded they strike the phones as Trojan horses that compromise the devices. The malicious programs enabled Hamas to harvest files, pictures, messages and contact numbers from the cell-phones as well as remotely activate them for eavesdropping, taking photographs, starting off the GPS etc.

During investigation of the cyber-assaults, Israeli Defense Forces together with Shin Bet, name of a security service, discovered photographs obtained from computer files, offices, military command units and so on -all obtained devoid of the cell-phone owners' knowledge.

To take action, IDF will be intensifying restrictions for enlisted soldiers when they browse social media. Soldiers of 'Major' and higher ranks won't be allowed to upload their own photographs while in uniform alternatively post online their identity with IDF. At present, these restrictions are solely for lieutenant colonels as well as higher officials.

The military intelligence as well published fresh, more cautious rules that soldiers were required to follow while surfing on social networks: substantiating requests for friendship that solely people known to the warriors personally offered; barring from posting any classified info; as also taking down apps that were solely on authorized App Stores.

Soldiers as well as reservists have been urged to abide by the fresh rules as also towards reporting any doubt of their cell-phones' hijacking to higher commanders.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/17/2017