Jihadi cyber attack is 'very real fear', warn experts
Security experts have warned that terrorists could call on intermediaries on the dark web to carry out devastating cyber attacks, from shutting down a power grid to paralysing the financial system. Guillaume Poupard, head of France's digital security service, Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information, told a conference in Lille: "With a few dozen people, a little money, but not that much, you can be effective." Poupard added: "It's not so much that Isis can quickly develop cyberattacks but that they will be able to go through intermediaries."

A jihadi cyber attack is a real threat and should be taken seriously, warn experts.

Fear is growing that extremist groups may be able to shut down a power grid, paralyse a transport network or banking system.

Analysts fear that while groups such as ISIS may not have the skills themselves, they could hire someone else for the job.

A jihadi cyber attack is a real threat and should be taken seriously, warn experts

'Digital attacks with major impacts are unlikely in the short term,' said Guillaume Poupard, head of France's digital security service ANSSI, at an international cyber security conference in Lille, France.

'However, that could change very fast.

'Our real fear, and we may already be there, is that they will use mercenaries, people who will do anything for money.

At the moment extremist groups are mainly using the internet for recruitment and propaganda.

Mr Poupard said: 'The skills are complex, though not at the level of a nuclear weapon.

'With a few dozen people, a little money, but not that much, you can be effective.'

Fear is growing that extremist groups may be able to shut down a power grid, paralyse a transport network or banking system

Mr Poupard warned that intermediaries on the dark web may be used by extremist groups.

'In fact, that's our fear,' he said.

'It's no so much that IS can quickly develop cyberattacks but that they will be able to go through intermediaries.'

Speaking at World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif said cyber terrorism is 'a real threat'.

He said: 'As technology improves, the possibility exists that someone can hack into a very sophisticated system and control that resource in such a way as to do maximum damage somewhere.'