Director, Counterintelligence 

 

 Current Terrorist 

 Threat Condition

NASA CI/CT MONTHLY NEWS UPDATE – September 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: 

DESPITE BOMBING, ISLAMIC STATE IS NO WEAKER THAN A YEAR AGO 

After billions of dollars spent and more than 10,000 extremist fighters killed, the 

Islamic State group is fundamentally no weaker than it was when the U.S.-led 

bombing campaign began a year ago, American intelligence agencies have 

concluded. 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/990c86ba77604586a8a9e1bf5396cec1/despite-bombing-islamic-state-no-weakeryear-ago

U.S. SAYS BAGHDADI’S TOP DEPUTY KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE 

The White House announced on August 21st 2015 that Fadhil Ahmad al Hayali 

(a.k.a. Hajji Mutazz), the “senior deputy to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al 

Baghdadi,” was “killed in a US military airstrike on August 18 while traveling 

in a vehicle near Mosul, Iraq. 

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/08/us-says-baghdadis-top-deputy-killed-in-airstrike.php

Significant Counterintelligence Issues: 

FOREIGN SPIES ON LINKEDIN TRYING TO RECRUIT CIVIL SERVANTS BY 

‘BEFRIENDING’ THEM BEFORE STEALING BRITISH SECRETS

Enemy spies are attempting to recruit civil servants in a bid to steal Britain’s 

secrets by ‘befriending’ them on LinkedIn. MI5 have warned that ‘hostile intelligence services’ 

are clandestinely targeting Government employees through the popular online CV website. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3191733/Foreign-spies-LinkedIn-trying-recruit-civil-servantsbefriending-stealing-British-secrets.html

US WARNS CHINA AGAINST USE OF NON-OFFICIAL COVER OPERATIVES 

The White House has warned the Chinese government to stop deploying on 

American soil intelligence operatives masquerading as tourists, business 

executives or other false covers. 

http://intelnews.org/2015/08/17/01-1757/

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Significant Cyber Issues: 

RUSSIAN HACKERS TARGET THE PENTAGON 

Hackers linked to Russia who penetrated the computer networks of the White 

House and the State Department have turned their sights on the Pentagon. 

And this time the hackers are using more sophisticated technologies that make 

them exceptionally hard to detect and that allow them to cover their tracks. 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/18/russian-hackers-target-the-pentagon.html

SURVEY: 1/3 OF EMPLOYEES WOULD SELL CORPORATE INFORMATION FOR 

THE RIGHT PRICE 

Of the 500 decision makers in Internet technology and 4,000 employees 

in the United States, Europe and Australia polled, 35 percent of 

respondents would willingly sell sensitive corporate information (or 

customer data stored on protected company servers) for the right price. 

http://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-data-protection/cybersecurity/one-third-of-employees-would-sell-corporate-information-for-the-rightprice-reveals-clearswift-survey/

 

Analyst Notes – Items to Watch:

 Despite thousands of U.S. and allied bombing attacks inflicting damage on ISIS in Syria and 

Iraq, their military strength and recruiting has not been significantly impacted. ISIS continues to 

surprise the West with its resilience and flexibility, despite suffering leadership losses. Social 

media use by ISIS remains extremely effective despite efforts by the West to counter it. Al 

Qaeda (AQ) continues to have success in Syria and in Yemen, but appears to be losing influence 

to ISIS in the region. Western intelligence agencies have noted increased efforts to use social 

media to vet and recruit personnel to spy. Cyber espionage against U.S. government entities like 

DOD and the White House continues unabated. It also appears that the insider threat, once 

thought to be small, is growing in importance and potential damage. 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: 

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