The IDF has one of the most advanced cyber-war units in the world, Unit 8200. It was responsible for devising the FLAME and Stuxnet viruses which devastated the centrifuges running at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.
Foreign media, including the Guardian here, Financial Times here, and Geekwire here, regularly run breathless thinly-disguised promotions for the “amazing” technological advances the Unit devises. It’s heralded as the epitome of the “Start-Up Nation.” You’ll hear about the wonderful apps, products and devices devised, and the billionaires 8200 has helped mint.
But you won’t hear much about the Unit’s sleazier activity, some of the sleaziest Israeli intelligence has ever mounted. You won’t hear that it is the technological/intelligence backbone of Occupation. In fact, forty of its veterans were so disgusted that they publicly rebuked the IDF for 8200’s tactics and announced they would no longer condone such blackmail and other underhanded activities designed to extort Palestinians into informing and spying on their fellow-Palestinians. The chief of Unit 8200, who I identified here, in violation of Israeli censorship, told them that their services would no longer be needed, as they’d violated the bond of the Band of Brothers, whose patriotic mission was to spy on Palestinians and Israel’s enemies everywhere.
The Mossad has been largely left out in the cold regarding cyber-warfare capabilities. Like the CIA, which works closely with the NSA, Unit 8200 offers its intelligence capabilities to the IDF Aman intelligence service and other forces like the Mossad and Shabak. Apparently, the IDF SIGINT division has garnered so much attention and headlines, that Mossad feels it’s missing out on the good PR and headlines.
Today, several Israeli newspapers ran ads promoting the Mossad initiative, which you see displayed here. I’ve also displayed the specific job listings the ad refers to:
Cyber-Operations Expert: comprehensive technological oversight of complex cyber projects in a youthful, dynamic environment.
What’s especially interesting is that it’s not only recruiting adults, it’s recruiting “students.” I assume this refers to university students studying for their computer engineering degrees. But for all we know they may be taking high school students as well. There are nearly ten high schools funded in part by the military and intelligence services which train children for specific future roles in the military. So this notion is not at all far-fetched.
Just to clarify the term “student” in Hebrew (סטודנט): it means only higher education (Tertiary) students, not high school students (Talmid תלמיד).
There are enough good reasons for them not to recruit high school pupils, just like other western spy agencies would not recruit them.
@ John Clue: But they do recruit high school students at these special technical high schools whose curriculum they help design & fund.
I believe you suggested they are actively hiring minors (high school students), and I don’t think this is the case. As to molding these young students for future needs of the security establishement – one can argue this is true for all public schools in Israel, technical or not, having to “produce” good soldiers. For example, by boasting the school’s outcome in top IDF units, as if they were Ivy League Unis.
@ John Clue: Agreed.
Well said Yehuda!!
On AllJobs, probably Israel largers web jobsite they have a definition “fit students” and they don’t mean kindergarden kids or teenagers.
And… RS, do you think the FBI doesn’t have it’s own unit for Cyber Security??? Seriously?
@ Ginger: THe FBI is not the equivalent of the Mossad. The CIA is. And we’re not talking about cyber security. We’re talking about cyber warfare. The Mossad has very little interest in cyber security but a great deal of interest in cyber warfare.
You may want to look closer at the top ad, as it carries a message and a challenge;ge.
If they actually have high school seniors doing “leet haxxoring” for the Mossad, then Israel is moving forward towards the sci-fi worlds of “Ender’s Game” and the old “Max Headroom” TV show where teenagers are either using high tech for military purposes or programming computers with artificially intelligent software. It’s bad enough when a country misuses twenty-somethings to build a digital panopticon, but kids as defense coders is something out of a William Gibson novel.
So the consensus is that Richard’s article is trash, and we can disregard it?
@ Bernie X: The “consensus” is that YOU are trash and you are now banned.
I wouldn’t call it trash but it is not journalism either. May be conspiracism.
Funny thing, Richard just criticized on Twitter a real journalist for conducting real journalism and bringing witnesses that a Palestinian may have committed suicide by IDF.
Yet, with no research (that would have teach RS that ‘student’ means ‘university students’) RS write this sort of articles.
Even more funny, in no time, Richard will quote his own article as a proof that Israel actively recruit teenagers for such position. Go figure!
@ Ginger: You moron, Israeli media has written numberous articles about these technical high schools which Unit 8200 & other intelligence units exploit to target high school students for recruitment into intelligence services.
I have a comment rule you’re violating. If you want to criticize, you do so using specific, substantive issues. No insults, no vacuous, unsubstantiated nonsense. If you don’t you risk moderation. If you come here with a hasba-chip on your shoulders I promise I’ll knock it right off.