Director, Counterintelligence 

 

 Current Terrorist 

 Threat Condition

NASA CI/CT MONTHLY NEWS UPDATE – August 2015 

This monthly newsletter is published to increase NASA personnel awareness of significant current 

issues related to counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and counterintelligence cyber matters. To 

learn more about CI/CT awareness, or to schedule a CI/CT presentation, please contact the CI 

POC located on the last page. 

Significant Counterterrorism (CT) Issues: 

ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS ISIS IS MORE OF A THREAT THAN AL QAEDA 

The Attorney General (AG) says the threat from ISIS is so great because the 

terror group's technologically advanced tactics are “still new to us," and the 

U.S. government is “still trying to determine the scope” of efforts to 

radicalize Americans and others worldwide. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/attorney-general-isis-threat-al-qaeda/story?id=32691727

CHATTANOOGA ATTACK MISSED BUT U.S. FOILED ‘OVER 60’ ISIS PLOTS

Three days after four marines and a sailor were killed by a gunman with 

Middle Eastern roots, the chairman of the House homeland security 

committee heralded US successes against “over 60” would-be terrorist 

attacks by “ISIS followers” in the last year.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/19/chattanooga-isis-terror-plots-homeland-security

Significant Counterintelligence Issues: 

AMERICAN COMPANIES WARNED OF RISE IN ESPIONAGE

The FBI Assistant Director for Counter Intelligence (CI) said recently at 

a joint news briefing with the National Counterintelligence Security 

Center (NCSC) that their intelligence collection activities and 

investigations indicate “a 53 percent increase, since last year at this time, in the number of 

economic espionage cases that we’re involved in.”

http://wtop.com/national-security/2015/07/american-companies-warned-rise-espionage/

ESPIONAGE AND INDUSTRY IN THE INTERNET ERA 

Spying may be the world’s second-oldest profession, but espionage has been 

quick to embrace the technology of the internet era. Just as the online economy 

has made it easier to buy and sell goods and services, so the net is making it 

easier to steal and trade information. 

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/01714ea4-262e-11e5-bd83-71cb60e8f08c.html#axzz3fxu5jhgJ 

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Significant Cyber Issues: 

THESE 5 FACTS EXPLAIN THE THREAT OF CYBER WARFARE 

America has spent decades and trillions of dollars building up the 

greatest military force the world has ever seen. But the biggest threat 

to national security these days comes from not from aircraft carriers 

or infantry divisions, but a computer with a simple Internet 

connection. That much became clear after the catastrophic hack—

most likely by a foreign power—of sensitive federal employee data stored online. 

http://time.com/3928086/these-5-facts-explain-the-threat-of-cyber-warfare/

HACKERS EXPOSE SPY SOFTWARE FIRM’S GLOBAL CLIENTS

A recent breach at an Italian surveillance company has laid bare the details 

of government cyber-attacks worldwide, putting intelligence chiefs in the hot 

seat from Cyprus to South Korea. The massive leak has already led to one 

spymaster's resignation - and pulled back the curtain on espionage in the 

iPhone age. More than 1 million emails released online in the wake of the 

July breach show that Hacking Team sold its spy software to the FBI and to Russian intelligence. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/italy-hacking-team-breach-suggest-spy-software-sold-fbi-russia-vatican/

Analyst Notes – Items to Watch: 

 The July 16th attack in Chattanooga TN was yet another sign that ISIS has not lost its ability 

to recruit and inspire “Lone Wolf” attackers in the United States. ISIS influence and power 

continues to expand in Yemen, Africa, Afghanistan and Russia. The sophisticated use of social 

media by ISIS remains effective despite mounting efforts by the West to counter it. Al Qaeda 

(AQ) continues to have increasing success in Syria and in Yemen, with AQ groups expanding 

their influence despite military pressure. Cyber espionage continues to dominate the news, 

especially in light of massive data losses suffered by the U.S. government. These data breaches 

include even more information losses dealing with U.S. government employees than previously 

thought. The NASA CI/CT division will continue to monitor these threats and any others that 

emerge in the future that have the potential to harm NASA or its equities. 

NASA CI Offices:

Ames Research Center: 

Armstrong Flight Research Center:

Glenn Research Center: 

Goddard Space Flight Center:

Jet Propulsion Laboratory:

Johnson Space Center:

Kennedy Space Center: 

Langley Research Center:

Marshall Space Flight Center:

NASA Headquarters:

Stennis Space Center:

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)