Spotlight: Social Media in Southeast Asia Terrorists’ Exploitation of Cyberspace in Southeast Asia Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin walks us through the cyber landscape of terrorism in Southeast Asia. T he exploitation of cyberspace has been imperative for terrorist groups in their protracted battle of the hearts and minds in Southeast Asia. Since 1999, this is especially observed in groups misusing Islamic concepts in their ideology and propaganda such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). The former affiliates itself to the Al Qaeda (AQ) while the latter, led by the imprisoned Aman Abdurrahman, has pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, leader (emir) of the self-styled Islamic State (IS). While terrorist groups have different online and propaganda strategies, all have reaped benefits from their cyber activities. For JI, its presence in cyberspace has especially assisted in the creation of its support base. Then, it amassed supporters online to partake in real-world demonstrations showing solidarity for terrorists arrested and executed such as Abu Bakar Bashir, Muhammad Jibriel and the Bali bombers. Today, JI’s strategy focuses on proselytising (dakwah) and its prominent individuals such as the now released Muhammad Jibriel shows strong influence online. They have thousands of followers on multiple social media platforms exposed to their subtle radical ideological messages enclosed within their seemingly mainstream anti-IS messages and humanitarian activities. For IS, its strategic online campaign, generated by professional IS central media agencies as well as amateur local recruiters and propagandists, remains a challenge for counter-extremism and -terrorism forces. Since its inception in 2014 and until 2017, the IS online campaign was the primary mechanism behind its radicalisation and recruitment activities which had led to the migration (hijrah) of thousands globally to IS-controlled areas in mainly Syria and Iraq. Today, IS online presence continues in both public and encrypted platforms in its persistence to recuperate and gain strength in its other satellite states (wilayah). In addition to propaganda dissemination, radicalisation and recruitment, other activities such as fundraising, hacking and sharing of operational tactical manuals are also prevalent in cyberspace. This is seen in the online activities of IS Malaysian cell Al Qubro Generations as well as materials written by Bali bomber Imam Samudera and Indonesian Muhammad Bahrunaim Anggih Tamtomo. Imam Samudera and Bahrunaim may have passed on, but their writings continue to be disseminated today. 16 — ISSUE 5/2018 Tracking Online Extremism and Terrorism The vivacity of online extremism and terrorism, despite its serious implications, presents a goldmine of information for us to understand our adversary. Public social media accounts of radicalised individuals are like online blogs or diaries that reveal the intentions, root causes, motivations and drivers essential in understanding radicalisation processes. Networks of recruiters and linkages between supporters from one country to the other allow for the mapping of terrorist developments and expansion especially in the case of IS today. In addition, assessments of these online activities have also assisted in detecting and disrupting attack plots. Furthermore, it shows new trends in more localised settings. For instance, in understanding women’s role in terrorism in Indonesia, messages and narratives from local IS terrorists and propagandists such as Rafiqa Hanum (the wife of Bahrunaim, an Indonesian IS operative in Syria and Iraq) show the inclination for women to partake in operational roles. This is in sync with the increasing role of women in terrorism in Indonesia today. For instance, Anggi Kusuma and Dian Yulia Novi were directly involved in bomb plots in Indonesia. Anggi was part of an Indonesian IS bomb making cell while Dian had been slated as a suicide bomber before she was arrested. Both were radicalised online and have shown no sign of repentance in their prison cells. This messaging on the role of women differs from the IS central stance seen in several of its Rumiyah and Dabiq magazines. IS central has defined women to play supporting roles to their husbands and male family members. This signifies how online extremism and terrorism in its entirety allow for a deeper understanding of terrorist developments from both IS strategic and localised vantage points. However, these online materials and activities seem to be declining today. Regular removal of terrorist materials in social media as well as arrests and deaths of recruiters and main propagandists in Southeast Asia, notably in and from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, are among the factors behind this dip in online activities. More notably, terrorist groups are increasingly utilising encrypted online chat applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp and WeChat which are harder to detect. This represents an eminent challenge for security agencies today. It also illustrates the constant change of online and communication platforms that terrorists are using to efficiently facilitate their myriad activities.