Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

[Shawn Zipay]

In this day and age, most anything can apparently be used by terrorists to hatch a nasty plot, even everyone's favorite MMORPG, World of Warcraft. One Pentagon official even went so far as to create a few slides to show off just how a couple of would-be terrorists might use in-game "lingo" and locations to target real world locations.

Dr. Dwight Toavs, a professional at the National Defense University funded by the Pentagon, gave his presentation at the Director of National Intelligence Open Source Conference held in Washington, DC.

His scenario played out a little something like this:

In it, two World of Warcraft players discuss a raid on the "White Keep" inside the "Stonetalon Mountains." The major objective is to set off a "Dragon Fire spell" inside, and make off with "110 Gold and 234 Silver" in treasure. "No one will dance there for a hundred years after this spell is cast," one player, "war_monger," crows.

Except, in this case, the White Keep is at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. "Dragon Fire" is an unconventional weapon. And "110 Gold and 234 Silver" tells the plotters how to align the game's map with one of Washington, D.C.

The situation was originally thought up by Dan Arey for the Director of National Intelligence's Summer Hard Problems workshop. Obviously, this is a fictional scenario and for any hardcore WoW fans out there, the weapon used and "lingo" aren't exactly native to WoW.

The team admits that while World of Warcraft was used as the example, the scenario could potentially play out in any online game, including other MMO's or games such as Second Life.

Toavs feels as though more time should be spent in games such as World of Warcraft in order to keep tabs on what goes on inside the game.

Outside the box thinking from our nation's defense council, or clever ruse to get a few nationally funded WoW subscriptions. You decide.

Source

[iPirate]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Other than WoW, i don't know what to say

[Iwantcable]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Tax dollars hard at work.

lol @ the conversation, too.

[MrKLM]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

last time I checked the only game to ever be available in the Arabic language was.

So look out for cute Johnny 5 looking robots programed by the Taliban to attack us!

[Idaeus]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

´Fss the thing is that they might as well use golfing "lingo" or cooking terms etc... "Chop the salad pour in the onions. Open the oven, put in the chicken and burn the ****er. 264C in the oven and no one will eat the chicken for a hundred years."

Oh **** is that the CIA at my door now?

[Kradath]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

That it too hilarious. :laugh:

[imported_Whiskey]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Intelligence agencies (the NSA is one of the more "famous" ones) of countries world-wide are constantly monitoring things like phone calls, websites, email, IM, etc. A number of terror plots have been broken up this way over the yrs, and it's getting more difficult for those plotting attacks to communicate using these methods.

What I think this article is trying to get across, is that it makes sense for terrorists to find new ways to communicate, especially in areas where those who are trying to catch them will not think of going. Games are one of those areas. The prof is trying to say that in the realm of these games, it can be relatively easy to speak in "code" but have it seem innocent due to the nature of the unfamiliar stuff in the game (character classes, strange locations, spells, etc). He's saying that this is an area where Intelligence agencies need to start paying more attention to catch those already in there, and/or prevent games like this from becoming a place where such communications can take place. The example they give is a simplistic/obvious one, but the lesson behind it is clear.

And although it's easy to stereotype, let's also not forget that not all terrorists are of Middle-Eastern origin needing an Arabic-based game...people plotting an attack in the USA similar to the Oklahoma City bombing could be Americans, using English-based games to communicate. European groups could do the same with their variety of languages, etc, etc. This may seem silly on the surface, but when you think about it, there is plenty of potential for threat, and it makes a lot of sense to monitor it.

[=98=]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Intelligence agencies (the NSA is one of the more "famous" ones) of countries world-wide are constantly monitoring things like phone calls, websites, email, IM, etc. A number of terror plots have been broken up this way over the yrs, and it's getting more difficult for those plotting attacks to communicate using these methods.

What I think this article is trying to get across, is that it makes sense for terrorists to find new ways to communicate, especially in areas where those who are trying to catch them will not think of going. Games are one of those areas. The prof is trying to say that in the realm of these games, it can be relatively easy to speak in "code" but have it seem innocent due to the nature of the unfamiliar stuff in the game (character classes, strange locations, spells, etc). He's saying that this is an area where Intelligence agencies need to start paying more attention to catch those already in there, and/or prevent games like this from becoming a place where such communications can take place. The example they give is a simplistic/obvious one, but the lesson behind it is clear.

And although it's easy to stereotype, let's also not forget that not all terrorists are of Middle-Eastern origin needing an Arabic-based game...people plotting an attack in the USA similar to the Oklahoma City bombing could be Americans, using English-based games to communicate. European groups could do the same with their variety of languages, etc, etc. This may seem silly on the surface, but when you think about it, there is plenty of potential for threat, and it makes a lot of sense to monitor it.

QFT! :thumbsup:

[Dan2k3k4]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Terrorists are also "probably" getting 'younger' as in it's probably easier for a terrorist to convert young people because they don't know much about the world, they can easily be confused/etc. then it is to convert someone who has already gone through University. So using games would be a good medium for terrorists to communicate with the younger ones because there parents will think they are just staying in and playing games.

[Sixth]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Toavs feels as though more time should be spent in games such as World of Warcraft in order to keep tabs on what goes on inside the game.

MM i think He just came up with a creative way to feed his wow addiction. :laugh:

[Lt.Hanley]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Chee great now if I say the wrong thing in a game I might have the secret serviece knok on my door.

[[Expletive Deleted]]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

So are some of you people actually in favor of this kind of monitoring? I think it's a slippery slope, they've already skidded off when it comes to telephones and IM.
Trading away freedom for the illusion of security is abhorrent to me. Am I the only one who has read 1984?

[imported_Whiskey]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

Games are a public application. This article doesn't talk about "secret" monitoring. They're talking about having people who know what they're doing, and using sophisticated computer word-matching programs, to watch the public chat going on in these games, looking for patterns and phrases that are out of place. Again, the key is that these games have a language all their own, and without knowledge of the game and what's in it, "code" used in the game by people who are up to no good would look normal. The professor is suggesting that people (and the computer programs) get familiar with the content of these games, so that they can properly monitor the public chat for words/phrases that don't belong, and then assess them for actual threats.

[L3adcannon]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot

You can do stuff like this over any goddamn game, telephone, messaging app, newspaper advert , etc.

Stupid *** fearmongering.

[TheEn|gma]

Re: Pentagon Hatches Fake World of Warcraft Terror Plot



Oh hai dar.

Seriously where does this end?

Stupid *** fearmongering.

Agreed.