When Paris was attacked on Nov. 13, 2015, 129 people were killed and over 300 were injured. France and the rest of the world are still trying to determine how the deadly terrorist attack was carried out.
Geek.com reported that Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed to be behind the attack, describing the venues as “soft” for lacking police and military coverage. There are suggestions that the PlayStation 4 was the main method of communication among the terrorists, including the eight gunmen, who are now deceased. Although the approach was unconventional, it is more convenient for the terrorists, considering how authorities are monitoring standard communication channels like emails, telephone and cellular phone lines and internet browsers. The voice communication on the PlayStation 4 is IP-based, and is more difficult to monitor, similar to other peer-to-peer systems.
There have been a number of raids on Brussels, Belgium, the place suspected to be the base of operations of the Paris attacks. One PlayStation 4 has been seized so far. Jan Jambon, federal home affairs minister of Belgium, mentioned that the gaming console has been used increasingly by terror networks. On gaming platforms, there are so many ways to communicate, such as by writing temporary messages on in-game walls, voice chatting and messaging. It would be very difficult to monitor or stop these, considering that there are thousands of consoles around the globe, as well as hundreds of games.
Metro reported that the terrorists may have resorted to communicating on the PlayStation 4, since it is more difficult to monitor compared to WhatsApp. This means that terrorists will always look for ways to communicate. The availability of various communication tools, apps and social media sites have made it very difficult for authorities to track and trace potential threats to national security.
Forbes noted that the non-peripheral-based communication featured by gaming platforms provide terrorists with an effective means to communicate. The low-tech approach will offer a safer way to converse compared to encrypted phone calls and text messaging. If the terrorists indeed used the PlayStation 4, they may have sent messages via the PlayStation Network (PSN) online gaming service, voice chats and talking in an actual game. Authorities, on the other hand, are not ignorant of the possibility and also try to delve into the available technologies. The NSA and CIA previously embedded themselves in games like “World of Warcraft” to detect and infiltrate virtual terrorist gatherings, Pro Publica revealed.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
