Al-Qaeda Uses ’Israeli’ Company to Secure Communications

Local Editor

Al-Qaeda's media wing, al-Sahab, has begun using an "Israeli" company in order to secure its communications.

The Middle East Media Research Institute discovered that the group was using Safemail, which according to its website "is owned and operated by Secure Information Technologies Ltd., which is a privately owned company registered in "Israel" and with offices in "Israel", the UK and Japan."

The company describes itself as: "The most secure, easy to use communication system. It includes encrypted mail system with collaboration features and document storage functions. Always accessible at anytime from anywhere!"

According to the MEMRI report, released on April 25, "Al-Qaeda's Embrace Of Encryption Technology - Part II: 2011-2014, And The Impact Of Edward Snowden," the al-Qaeda media wing announced on April 9 that an open interview of Maulana Asim Umar, the head of al-Qaeda's Shari'a Committee in Pakistan, would take place.

Questions would be received in Urdu, Arabic, English or Pashto at either a Yahoo or Safe-mail email address, said the announcement.
Since 2007, the report said, al-Qaeda began using encryption technology in order to protect its communications from breaches of its websites by Western government agencies.

Following the disclosures by former US intelligence computer professional, Edward Snowden, Western governments have noticed that the group has changed its communication methods.

Other terrorist groups and forums have also advised regarding new programs for secure communication and warning against using a compromised service.
In one case, an announcement was made on an extremist forum close to the group, the so-called "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant", at the end of 2013, about the Asrar al-Ghurabaa project, meant to provide for secure online communication.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team