Pak hackers deface Israeli websites

ZDNET: Pakistan hackers have defaced multiple pages of high-profile Web sites in a retaliatory move against Israel's recent attack on Gaza.

According to The Next Web news site on Tuesday, the hackers going by the names 1337, H4x0rL1f3, ZombiE_KsA, and Invectus, had hacked sites operated by several major names including Amazon Unbox, BBC, Bing, Citibank, CNN, Coca Cola, Coke, Intel, Mastercard, Microsoft, and Phillips.

All of the attacks seemed to affect the "co.il" and "org.il" domains, but the defaced pages could be viewed by some--and not all--online users, which suggested it could be a DNS attack, the report noted.

click to enlarge 

The hackers did not appear to be related to hacktivist group, Anonymous, which last week attacked more than 650 Israeli sites wiping out databases of at least two sites, defacing many, and leaking e-mail addresses and passwords.

However, on both incidents, hackers shared the same motive of making Israel pay for its attack on the Gaza. An excerpt from defaced pages read (see image above): "I am writing on the behalf of all Pakistani and all Muslims. DAMN you ISREAL. So, what you reap from that war except the destruction and devastation of your life!! You only made a Palestinian generation more stronger, more ruthless and more valor!"

They also mocked a statement from Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who recently said the country's security systems had been effective. He announced on Sunday that 44 million hacking attempts had been made on Israeli government Web sites since last Wednesday and so far, only one was taken down.

So - you wonder why I never finished the DIY SATCOM article ..

FBI arrests Iranian who wanted to export military antennas.

WASHINGTON—Amin Ravan, a citizen of Iran, and his Iran-based company, IC Market Iran (IMI), have been charged in an indictment unsealed today with conspiracy to defraud the United States, smuggling, and violating the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) in connection with the unlawful export of 55 military antennas from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.

The indictment was announced by Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Ronald C. Machen, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; John Morton, Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Stephanie Douglas, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch; and Eric L. Hirschhorn, Under Secretary for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department.

According to the indictment, which was returned under seal by a grand jury in the District of Columbia on November 16, 2011, Ravan was based in Iran and, at various times, acted as an agent of IMI in Iran and an agent of Corezing International Pte Ltd, a company based in Singapore that also maintained offices in Hong Kong and China.

On October 10, 2012, Ravan was arrested by authorities in Malaysia in connection with a U.S. provisional arrest warrant. The United States is seeking to extradite him from Malaysia to stand trial in the District of Columbia. If convicted of the charges against him, Ravan faces a potential 20 years in prison for the AECA violation, 10 years in prison for the smuggling charge, and five years in prison for the conspiracy charge.

According to the indictment, in late 2006 and early 2007, Ravan attempted to procure for shipment to Iran export-controlled antennas made by a company in Massachusetts through an intermediary in Iran. The antennas sought by Ravan were cavity-backed spiral antennas suitable for airborne or shipboard direction-finding systems or radar-warning receiver applications, as well as biconical and SATCOM antennas that are suitable for airborne and shipboard environments, including in several military aircraft.

After this first attempt was unsuccessful, Ravan joined with two co-conspirators at Corezing in Singapore so that Corezing would contact the Massachusetts company and obtain the antennas on behalf of Ravan for shipment to Iran. When Corezing was unable to purchase the export-controlled antennas from the Massachusetts firm, Corezing then contacted another individual in the United States who was ultimately able to obtain these items from the Massachusetts firm by slightly altering the frequency range of the antennas to avoid detection by the company’s export compliance officer.

In March 2007, Ravan and the co-conspirators at Corezing agreed on a purchase price of $86,750 for 50 cavity-backed antennas from the United States and discussed structuring payment from Ravan to his Corezing co-conspirators in a manner that would avoid transactional delays caused by the Iran embargo. Ultimately, between July and September 2007, a total of 50 cavity-backed spiral antennas and five biconical antennas were exported from the United States to Corezing in Singapore and Hong Kong.

According to the indictment, no party to these transactions—including Ravan or IMI—ever applied for or received a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to export any of these antennas from the United States to Singapore or Hong Kong.

Two of Ravan’s co-conspirators, Lim Kow Seng (aka Eric Lim) and Hia Soo Gan Benson (aka Benson Hia), principals of Corezing, have been charged in a separate indictment in the District of Columbia in connection with this particular transaction involving the export of military antennas to Singapore and Hong Kong. The two Corezing principals were arrested in Singapore last year, and the United States is seeking their extradition.

This investigation was jointly conducted by ICE agents in Boston and Los Angeles; FBI agents and analysts in Minneapolis; and Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement agents and analysts in Chicago and Boston. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, and U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Asuncion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Richard S. Scott of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Four suspects arrested in California jihad plot

HUFF POST: Four California residents are suspected of plotting to wage "violent jihad," by joining forces with al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Federal authorities allege the men -- two U.S. citizens and two legal permanent residents -- planned to attack American military staff and bases overseas.

News of the arrest became public on Monday, when three of the suspects appeared in U.S. District Court in Riverside, Calif. The trio were charged with plotting to provide material support to terrorists, KTLA reported.

The defendents named in the criminal complaint are:
Sohiel Omar Kabir, 34, who was born in Afghanistan. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen and previously lived in Pomona, Calif.


Ralph Deleon, 23, who was born in the Philippines. He is a legal permanent resident and lives in Ontario, Calif.

Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales (referred to in the complaint as Santana), 21, who was born in Mexico. He is a legal permanent resident and lives in Upland, Calif. His application for U.S. citizenship is pending.

Arifeen David Gojali, 21, who lives in Riverside, Calif., and is a U.S. citizen.

Federal authorities allege that in 2010, Kabir introduced Deleon and Santana to the violent teachings of American cleric Anwar Al-Awlaqi, a now-deceased radical Islamic imam and leader in the al Qaeda chapter in Yemen.

The complaint then states that Kabir left the U.S. in December 2011 and ended up in Afghanistan in July 2012. Throughout that period, Kabir allegedly guided Deleon and Santana on how to meet him in Afghanistan to join up with the Taliban and al Qaeda. Court documents state that Kabir allegedly told Deleon and Santana that they would train with "the students" (Taliban) and "the professors" (al Qaeda).

Deleon and Santana then revealed their plans to someone who turned out to be a confidential informant for the FBI.

In September 2012, Santana and Deleon recruited Gojali to join them in Afghanistan. The trio allegedly raised funds for their trip and thought up elaborate cover stories and code words to use while abroad.

Santana, Deleon and Gojali reportedly got as far as booking flights and securing required travel documentation, according to the criminal complaint. While they waited to join Kabir in Afghanistan, they also allegedly practiced shooting at firearm and paintball facilities in Southern California.

Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force apprehended Santana, Deleon and Gojali last Friday without incident. Kabir was arrested in Afghanistan and is currently in custody. If convicted, all four could face a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.