Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: Pakistan purposely obstructed negotiations in Turkey by making unrealistic demands.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City

Defense of "democratic values": Following cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism is on the agenda

  • Faina Gazdieva Faina Gazdieva
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 14 Oct 2022 14:04
5 Min Read

Along with cyber warfare, cyber terrorism has also become on the agenda, which can be aimed at both spreading fear and terror among the population and striking a point-by-point blow against an individual.

  • x
  • Defense of
    Defense of "democratic values": Following cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism is on the agenda

Whatever Washington and London are up to is not aimed at protecting "democratic values".  The hypocrisy is blatant! But these "rule setters" do not care about it at all; they’re actually acting as the world gendarme, and are really getting on everyone's nerves.

What is "democracy"? Let us recall the platitudes: it is a form of social organization in which the people are the source and holder of state power.

In this case, did the Ukrainian people decide to have a Maidan with the shooting of people in 2014, or did the US plan it by sending Victoria Nuland to Kiev with cookies? Or was it for democracy that they burned the people of Odessa on May 2, 2014, or shot the people of Donbass for 8 years?

Here, speaking of democracy, we can go on to say that it implies free elections, referendums, respect for human rights, and so on. But, most of all, two definitions cause bitter sneers: "Democracy is the presence of independent media" and "Under democracy, people become more humane, and relations between its members are subject to the rules of morality."

Are comments necessary or are they redundant?

Since the Biden administration (Democrats) came to power, the US has suddenly had the need to increase information pressure not only on Russia, but also on other countries. The rhetoric became harsher, louder and more defiant than under former President Donald Trump.

As the effectiveness of sanctions became apparent, the US took a different "democratic" way: they introduced new tools to influence Russia, namely the introduction of innovative information technology that allows successful computer attacks around the world to ensure geopolitical dominance over all subjects of the information sphere, including its allies (and in fact - satellites).

The use of cyber weapons is a new level that the US has now reached. This fact is reflected in the main strategic documents of Washington and it is actively used.

In September of this year, China published investigative reports that revealed details of a cyberattack on one of the country's universities by the US National Security Agency.
 
According to the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (known as CNCERT/CC), the NSA's TAO unit used 41 types of cyberweapons in the attacks on the state's Northwestern Polytechnic University.

Related News

Leaked: Britain’s Ukrainian sniper training plot

How Islamophobia became a tool of Western politics

One of them is a cyberweapon called Suctionchar, one of the direct main thieves of large amounts of confidential data.

Once TAO receives this information, experts say, these usernames and passwords can be used to access other servers and network devices in order to steal files or deliver other cyberweapons.

Suctionchar was found to have worked together with other components of the Bvp47 Trojan, a top-notch weapon of the NSA's Equation Group hacker group, during the attacks on the Chinese university.

According to another report published by Pangu Laboratory, Bvp47 has been used to hit targets in 45 countries and regions around the world for more than 10 years.

It is noted that Bvp47 hacked 64 systems in China, making the country the largest victim of recent open cyber-attacks, followed by 32 systems in Japan, 30 in the Republic of Korea and 16 in Germany.

This very data is another proof of how "big brother" (the US) likes to peek in and look into other people's pockets.

Europe is not pleased with this. New tensions have emerged between the US and the EU, and both sides prefer different approaches to personal data protection. In this regard, relations between Washington and Brussels are not at their best, and clashes over privacy can only make the situation worse. At the same time, the US openly accuses Europe of hiding cyber criminals. However, Washington constantly violates EU law on personal data and poses threats to the personal safety of Europeans.

Russian experts have already realized that the United States is increasing its military activity in cyberspace, under the pretext that allegedly "authoritarian regimes" seek to have a destructive impact on the national unity of the United States and its democratic processes. According to experts, the Pentagon's new statements about external cyber threats are just "an attempt to legalize its actions in cyberspace".

Washington blocks the Internet resources of a number of countries with which the United States has disagreements with an enviable regularity, sometimes without giving a reason, while stating out loud that "hostile cyber activity" is on the rise, with Russia and China in the first place.

Cyber warfare, as the experts remind us, is the use of software code for the purpose of causing damage, intercepting control, introducing malfunctions, and destroying physical objects. What kind of objects are we talking about? About computers and computer networks, industrial, financial, and energy infrastructure facilities, and military facilities where computers and telecommunications networks are used. And they are used almost everywhere today. Along with cyber warfare, cyber terrorism has also become on the agenda, which can be aimed at both spreading fear and terror among the population and striking a point-by-point blow against an individual.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Mayadeen’s editorial stance.
  • United States
  • Europe
  • Russia
  • Washington
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberterrorism
  • Democracy
  • China
  • Brussels
  • cyberattack
Faina Gazdieva

Faina Gazdieva

Deputy Director of the Agency for Middle East and Central Asia research

Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

All
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025
Manufacturing civil war: The Zionist doctrine to destroy resistance

Manufacturing civil war: The Zionist doctrine to destroy resistance

  • Opinion
  • 21 Oct 2025
It is no secret that removing Russia from Syria in preparation for isolating it in Libya and Africa is a Western goal. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

Will Damascus be willing to pay the price to restore relations with Moscow?

  • Feature
  • 25 Oct 2025
Documents submitted to the UK Foreign Office by ARK - founded by MI6's Alistair Harris - noted the FSP were “revolutionary entities who share a general ideological affinity with the Syrian rebels.” (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How MI6 built Syria’s extremist police

  • Opinion
  • 16 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza: An Epic of Resilience and Valor

More from this writer

All
Silent Wave of Repression in Ukraine

Silent wave of repression in Ukraine

Western sanctions against Russia - Investments in Asia

Western sanctions against Russia - Investments in Asia

The West today: double standards and the loss of world domination!

The West today: double standards and the loss of world domination!

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS