David Zacharia is the most senior Israeli working at the United Nations. If his name does not ring a bell, it is probably because he holds one of the most sensitive positions in the international organization: head of the Counterterrorism Executive Directorate, the body that carries out the policy decisions made by the Security Council's Counterterrorism Committee.
Formerly a senior prosecutor in the State Attorney's Office, Zacharia has been with the U.N. for 12 years, starting out as an attorney in the Security Council's legal department. Now he oversees several departments and teams tackling the legal aspects of terrorism funding, border control, aviation safety and cyberterrorism, which is considered a major threat in the global war on terror.
"We went through a very dramatic process between first-generation digital terrorism to the second generation, and I think we are on the verge of the third generation," ZAcharia, 49, told Israel Hayom.
"First-generation digital terrorism saw al-Qaida send a videotape of [group leader Osama] bin Laden's theological sermons to the offices of Al-Jazeera. The tape was aired and it was also available on pirate websites or in various stores.
"But since 2013, we have seen how terrorist groups have taken a technological leap and the cycle of terror now features advanced technology.
"We see a massive use of social media platforms for recruitment. Funding, incitement and weapons' training are now available online. A Google search of 'how to make a homemade bomb' yields thousands of websites that tell you how to build a bomb using things you can find in almost every kitchen. We saw it in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, for example."
Twitter revealed recently that it had blocked nearly 2 million accounts in two years after ruling they were used for terrorist purposes.
"We're talking about a situation in which carrying out a terrorist attack and real-time coordination are done on encrypted instant messaging networks. Apps like Telegram, and other encrypted apps that we all use, are also used by terrorists. There is also the chance that applications like WhatsApp are also used by them," Zacharia said.
Terrorist groups, it seems, are also actively recruiting computer wizards.
"Researchers who followed the Islamic State group found that over a long period of time ISIS was actively enlisting software developers and hackers – they had specific job listings for that. ISIS may have been defeated militarily but it hasn't disappeared, so it is reasonable to assume that terrorist organizations will continue to try to manipulate hacking technologies," Zacharia said.
"Spotting online recruitment for terrorism is difficult. Violent content such as decapitation videos is immediately removed, and it's unlikely that this type of content is what makes people join a terrorist organization. Usually, the content is more sophisticated. It shows, for example, how comfortable and peaceful the lives of terrorist operatives are in their place of residence, as it allows them to live a life that is purely dedicated to Islam.
"It's hard to call that type of content incitement to terrorism. Even if we can trace it back to a dubious source, can we say it goes against freedom of speech? Is removing it the right thing to do? It's a difficult dilemma."
Zacharia said that "after the initial stage, when a person expresses an interest in the ideology and way of life of the terrorist organization, the conversation moves to closed chat rooms or highly encrypted messaging apps, where the more specific aspects of joining the organization are discussed. Al-Qaida and ISIS have even developed special software they believe to be surveillance-proof."
For the greater good
To deal with the increasing use terrorist organizations are making of social media platforms, the directorate has launched an initiative called "Technology Against Terrorism," which calls on the giants in this field – Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft – to join forces on the issue.
This year's CyberTech conference, scheduled to take place Jan. 29 and 30 at the Tel Aviv Convention Center, will host a special panel on the issue and highlight the importance the directorate places on the companies collaborating in the war on terror.
The four may be rivals in their day-to-day businesses, but according to Zacharia, they were ready to work together to help.
"From a legal perspective, the entire issue of online incitement raises many questions about the line between freedom of expression and incitement. These four companies have agreed to cooperate on this issue, as well as develop and implement technology that will prevent one website from removing material that constitutes incitement to terrorism, only to see it pop up on another website almost immediately. Once Facebook, for example, removes a video inciting to terrorism, the possibility of uploading it to other networks will be immediately blocked. "
The Security Council's knowledge-sharing platform will make sure this type of collaboration spreads beyond the four giants to help smaller companies and websites access the relevant technological and legal knowledge, he said.
"If you're a small startup, and you've realized that somehow a terrorist organization is using your technology, you'll be able to access the platform and learn how to handle it from the experience of the larger companies. This service is already available online," he said.
One example is the Justpaste.it messaging platform developed by 26-year-old Polish entrepreneur Marius Zurawek. The site became the object of international attention after Islamic State operatives began using it in 2015 to disseminate information.
"Terrorist organizations decided his platform was the best way to exchange information anonymously," Zacharia said.
"He turned to us and said, 'People are using my platform to exchange messages in 22 different languages. I don't have the manpower to check terrorist affiliations and I keep getting alerts from police forces from all over the world, telling me my platform is being used to aid terrorists.'"
The collaboration between the technology giants proved useful and according to the Site Intelligence Group, an American company that tracks online activity of white supremacist and jihadist organizations, it was not long before al-Qaida informed its operatives that Justpaste.it was no longer a safe communications platform.
"This is the kind of power the private sector wields," Zacharia said.
Zacharia found himself working for the U.N. by chance, after colleagues in the Foreign and Justice ministries sent him a lead for the position of an attorney with the Security Council's legal department.
"They said they thought it was perfect for me," he recalled.
Over a decade later, it seems they were correct. In 2012, he was named the directorate's legal counsel, and a year ago he was appointed head.
As expected from a U.N. official, Zacharia does his best to be objective and prefers not to discuss the complex relations between Israel and the United Nations. His job, defeating terrorism, gives him all the motivation he needs, he said.
"Defeating terrorism requires global action and in my current position I make a small contribution to this effort," he said.
ISIS 2.0
The directorate is responsible, among other things, for identifying global trends in the war on terror.
Zacharia points out two major trends: the fact that today almost anything can be turned into a weapon – "like vehicles or items that ISIS has turned into instruments of terror, sometimes to catastrophic results" – and the possibility that terrorist groups will obtain advanced technology that could enable them to use 3-D printers to produce weapons.
"I do not know that this has already been done within the framework of a terrorist organization, but the technology exists. Today, our refrigerators and cars are online. I don't have evidence that such technology is being used for terrorist activity, but this may be possible in the future and we have to prepare for it," he said.
The Security Council dedicates resources to investigating attacks against "soft targets," such as tourist attractions and urban hotspots, and it is keenly aware of the threat posed by terrorist organizations' attempts to seize strategic infrastructure.
"In the past, we thought that if we surrounded our vital infrastructure, such as nuclear reactors and power plants, with high-enough fences, they would be protected. But reality has changed," Zacharia said.
Q: Where do terrorist organizations have an advantage over countries?
"As a society, we decided to impose rules on ourselves, so we can't go to the lengths they do. Terrorist organizations use encryption and intelligence agencies are capable of deciphering it, but it is not always possible to use the information they collect as evidence in a trial.
"Even if an intelligence agency collected material that prevented an attack, it may be difficult to put the perpetrator on trial because our legal system respects the defendant's rights. There are, of course, ways to present privileged material in court without infringing on the defendant's rights. "
Q: Are there codes of conduct and wartime treaties in the cybersphere?
"We have a few norms, a series of Security Council resolutions that broadly but not fully regulate how terrorist organizations use the internet and nations' obligations to prevent such use. But there's much more that needs to be done."
Q: Which organizations are you particularly concerned by today?
"Al-Qaida, Islamic State, and Boko Haram in Africa are the organizations we focus on, mainly by increasing global, regional and inter-regional collaborations."
The Counterterrorism Executive Directorate was formed in 2004 following the rise in global terrorism. Its experts are focused on thwarting both traditional and new forms of terrorism, and Zacharia and his teams visit various countries to assess how they are dealing with terrorism and assist them as needed.
"In practice, our goals are broad. We operate as a center of excellence that enables U.N. bodies to gain an understanding of how to deal with terrorism from all relevant angles," he said.
"The Security Council is currently focused on the foreign fighters who are returning from Syria and Iraq to their homelands. Even though ISIS has been defeated there, ISIS ideology and its core organization haven't disappeared. There are thousands of trained operatives going back home or to a third country where the government is weak but the infrastructure exists, and if we don't remain vigilant, we run the risk that they will exploit these weaknesses in order to reorganize and establish the next generation of ISIS."
Q: How can we prevent that from happening?
"It will take society as a whole. In the past, we used to think that only governments could deal with terrorism, but today we understand that society as a whole must be involved in this effort. The public and private sectors can play an important role in preventing terrorism. Terrorist organizations are not stationary – they keep thinking about the next step. It is important that we always stay one step ahead of them."
