The Islamic State has developed its own application for encrypting text messages, according to a group of counterterrorism analysts, a revelation that could upend the debate over encryption.
The application, “Alrawi.apk,” offers encryption for text messaging, Ghost Security Group told Defense One on Tuesday. Ghost Security suggested that it was “rudimentary” compared to Telegram, the encrypted messaging application based in Berlin that has been the most popular with terrorists.
After terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., lawmakers began questioning whether laws should be made to prevent American companies from offering strong encryption. Though encrypted applications like Telegram have not generally been used in past attacks, they have been used to distribute propaganda.
App created by IS-affil Amaq Agency “news” org to streamline access to IS propaganda, Screenshots courtesy @CtrlSec pic.twitter.com/kKc0IZo2wi
— Michael S. Smith II (@MichaelSSmithII) December 7, 2015
Yet Ghost Security has indicated that the Islamic State is attempting to move away from mainstream applications even for the purpose of disseminating information. Last month, the group discovered another custom application called “Amaq Agency” displaying “news” relevant to the terrorist group’s activities, such as videos of battlefield victories and executions.
“The application’s primary purpose is for propaganda distribution. Using the app you are able to follow the most recent news and video clips,” Ghost Security said.
However, Amaq Agency was not encrypted. If Ghost Security is correct about “Alrawi,” it will be the first encrypted messaging app that has been custom-made by elements affiliated with the Islamic State. That is going to present a challenge for lawmakers such as Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who have expressed support for preventing companies like Apple and Facebook from offering unbreakable encryption that could be used by malefactors.
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The latest development could eliminate some of the differences between lawmakers in Washington and industry leaders in Silicon Valley, who have generally asserted that new laws against encryption will not fix the problem.
