Al-Qaeda planning cyber war against Britain, warns Lord West - Telegraph

Al-Qaeda planning cyber war against Britain, warns Lord West - Telegraph

Terrorist groups, which already use the internet for recruitment, propaganda and communication purposes, want to turn it into a dangerous weapon, he said.

Lord West issued the warning as he published the Government's new Cyber Security Strategy aimed at heading off online threats.



As well as potential cyber-attacks from terrorists, Britain faces a real and growing threat from foreign governments such as China and Russia, and from organised criminal gangs, he said.

Targets include key businesses, the national power grid, financial markets and Whitehall departments.

As part of attempts to beef up defences, a new Office for Cyber Security will be set up to co-ordinate Government policy.

Another new development will see the creation of a "cyber-forensics" team based at GCHQ, the Government's eavesdropping centre in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

The Cyber Security Operations Centre will constantly monitor, analyse and counter cyber attacks as they happen.

Lord West said the terrorists' capability to launch attacks was something he believed "will develop" in future.

"We know terrorists use the internet for radicalisation and things like that at the moment, but there is a fear they will move down that path (of cyber attacks)," he said.

"As their ability to use the web and the net grows, there will be more opportunity for these attacks."

He confirmed that the Government has already faced cyber attacks from foreign states such as Russia and China.

But he denied that hackers had successfully broken into Government systems and stolen secret information.

He also said he could not deny that the Government has its own online attack capability, but he refused to say whether it had ever been used.

"It would be silly to say that we don't have any capability to do offensive work from Cheltenham, and I don't think I should say any more than that."

Among those the Government has turned to for help on cyber crime are former illegal hackers, Lord West said. He said GCHQ had not employed any "ultra, ultra criminals" but needed the expertise of former "naughty boys" he said.

"You need youngsters who are deep into this stuff," he said. "If they have been slightly naughty boys, very often they really enjoy stopping other naughty boys."

The cyber strategy is part of the updated national security plan which was published for the first time this year. It warns of the increased threat to this country as a result of the global economic meltdown.

Last month President Barack Obama said protecting the US computer network from attack would become a national security priority.

MPs were warned last year about emails apparently sent by the European Parliament amid fears they could be used by Chinese hackers to implant viruses.

The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, has also warned business and legal firms of the rise in the online threat from Chinese state organisations.

Reports in 2007 said hackers, believed to have come from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), hit the network of the Foreign Office and other key departments.

Chinese hackers were also thought to be responsible for shutting down the House of Commons computer system in 2006.

In 2005 the Government issued a warning of "concerted Trojan email attacks from the Far East against UK Government and business interests".