Hackers attempt to penetrate German Parliament Network

The largest German subscription daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reports that "unidentified hackers have attempted to penetrate the German Parliament network".

Both the Federal Office for Information Technology (BSI) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) have confirmed the attack.

The Bundestag's IT division was able to thwart this latest attack. Lawmakers have criticized the communication policy of the authorities responsible for this incident.

The attack was discovered "after a tipoff from the BfV". The infected computers had attempted to establish contact with a "potentially hazardous website." The connection was blocked for security reasons.

On March 28, The BSI said that it had now completed its analysis, but refused to comment on the results.

The targets included Marieluise Beck of the Green Party. Beck's disk image is also with the BSI. Beck said to Sueddeutsce Zeitung that "a BSI manager told me that they had discovered server connections with an Israeli news website".

Until now it is unclear whether the staff member had visited the real website or a fake version through which malware had been downloaded on to her computer.

Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime: a disinformation campaign over Syria?

Have Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime met to exchange intel on extremists moving from Syria to Europe? News published by international media outlets on that matter and the way of releasing them bear a strong resemble to old fashioned stories on information and disinformation in which it is often almost impossible to distinguish between reliable reports and fake ones.

"News about Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime meeting to exchange intel on extremists appear to be an old fashioned stories on information and disinformation"

More than two years ago, on January 2014, The Wall Street Journal reported that Western Intelligence officers from United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain have been speaking to Assad Regime officials in Damascus since November, traveling to Syria from Beirut.

The Wall Street Journal wrote that “Officials in Assad's media office and in Syria's foreign ministry said they couldn't immediately comment”, adding that “Ali Mamlouk, a special security adviser to Assad, declined to comment”.

The author of the article, Maria Abi-Habib (a seasoned Beirut based correspondent) does not provide any minimal information or detail on the sources but referred generically to "Western and Middle Eastern Officials”.

Neverthless Russian News Agency Sputnik wrote “Syria confirms European security service contacts with Assad gov't”, citing an interview of the Deputy Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mikdad with the BBC. The interview has been recorded few days after the article published by The Wall Street Journal.

Roughly two years later, on December 2015, similar contents on meeting between Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime in Syria appeared on European media outlets.

A purported "exclusive report" was released by the German mass circulation Tabloid Bild, well known for sensationalistic reporting on intelligence related matters.

According to those reports, German Intelligence Service BND resumed working with the Intelligence of Assad Regime to swap information on Islamist militants.

All these news have been never confirmed nor declined by the mentioned European governments. 

"Reports about Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime meetings were released by Bild, a Tabloid well known for sensationalistic scoop"

A source familiar with the dynamics of the Syrian Information Minister and speaking under condition of anonymity said that “Assad Regime would have been more than happy to confirm meeting with Western Intelligence even though those visit did not actually take place. Such reports would have enhanced the status and international credibility of the Assad Regime”.

According to a Bruxelles based Western Intelligence Official who asked not to be mentioned, those journalistic reports "were the result of a coordinated action by some Western Intelligence bodies aiming at building pressure on the fragmented and chaotic Syrian opposition" that in many cases did not show a firm stance against radical islamist groups and maintained links with Al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria.

On the beginning of July 2016 what emerged so far as an actual spy story about "Dezinformatsiya" (disinformation) over Syria brings a new unexpected development.

According to Syrian newspaper Al-Watan and the website of Lebanese daily Al-Safir, Italian intelligence representatives met with their Syrian counterpart in Rome and Damascus to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation.

Contrary to previous media reports this time the alleged information leakage originated directly from media outlets tightly intertwined with the Assad regime.

Al-Watan newspaper is directly owned by Rami Makhlouf, a wealthy Syrian businessman and the maternal cousin of President Bashar al-Assad whereas Lebanese daily al-Safir is close to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite party-cum-militia that has strong ties with Damascus. Moreover, it is worth noting that the author of al-Safir article, Mohamed Balout, is known for having preferential access to al-Assad inner circle and namely the Syrian intelligence apparatus.

A retired Western Intelligence analyst with relevant experience on Middle Eastern politics talking from Muscat maintains that "it is highly unlikely that the Assad regime would ever waste a so precious emerging relationship with such an important European country by leaking sensitive information through media and assets it controls".

According to him "this media campaign represent one of the last cards of Bashar al-Assad who is desperately trying to get out from his growing isolation in a phase where other political figures are emerging to lead the political transition in Syria. This why he would disseminate unconfirmed news about meeting between Western Intelligence and the Assad Regime".

Norwegian Intelligence Focused on the Smuggling of Child Asylum-seekers

(July 8, 2016) - Considering the big numbers arriving in Norway last year, the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) has focused its attention on the smuggling of child asylum-seekers into Norway and shared its findings with the Europol that now considers illegal immigration as one of nine areas of high priority.

Based on the different travel patterns, Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) identified three main categories of how asylum seekers make it to Norway as their final destination of choice. 

The smallest group: they get a travel package from their country to Norway

This group is the smallest because this method is the most expensive. A trip from Kabul to Germany could cost up to $22,000. Refugees who can afford to have documents and go this route are guaranteed a safe arrival to their destination, but costs vary and are increasing due to the heightened border controls. 

The largest group: those who get to Norway from Europe on their own

This group is smuggled into Schengen areas through smugglers they find on social network pages like Facebook. Once in Europe, they try to continue their journey to Norway on their own. Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) report pointed out that, “aid organizations and others who help refugees often putting unaccompanied minors together with adults. Then they are carried onward with the flow in a natural way.” 

The medium-sized group: Those that are smuggled in stages

This group takes the longest to reach its destination because they are forced to cross several countries before they reach a Schengen area. Once in Europe, they identify “hotspots” in large European cities like the train station in Berlin from where they are picked up by smugglers, family members, or acquaintances. Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that it is common for people in this category to work along the way in order to pay off their debts to their smugglers. At times, they are assigned a group of migrants to take along with them on their journey, thereby turning into human smugglers themselves.

The actual means of transportation varies; some children reported traveling across the Mediterranean on inflatable boats while others spoke of their nights in Balkan forests or small containers. According to a report by Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) last week, most asylum seekers come via Sweden, and despite the tight border controls, the bus and train are the most common means of transportation.