New ISIS-Affiliated Online Channels Pop Up every time Telegram App Shuts One Down

The encrypted messaging app Telegram said on Wednesday that it has shut down 78 public channels used by the Islamic State group, or ISIS, to carry out its terrorist activities, communicate under the radar, and spread propaganda. However, ISIS is like playing "whack-a-mole" with more sites popping up for each site that is shut down.

Tech Mic reported that Telegram in their site stated, "We were disturbed to learn that Telegram's public channels were being used by ISIS to spread their propaganda." According to its founder and CEO Pavel Durov privacy is still the company's top priority, saying that the channels that were taken down were public and not from the private chat option under the app.

In a report by the Business Insider, the ISIS channels that are not yet blocked are beginning to link to other active ISIS channels so that its followers can easily find new channels where they can subscribe to. Western authorities are becoming increasingly concerned about how ISIS utilizes encrypted communication through the internet.

"Terrorists are using encrypted communications and ... very solid cryptography standards that haven't been broken yet," TrustedSec CEO David Kennedy said. "The terrorists are getting very smart on their mode of communications."

Fox reported that after Telegram put down 78 ISIS accounts, the terrorist group immediately messaged its 16,000 subscribers that a backup channel is being put up n place of its main channel called Nasher. Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium editorial director Veryan Khan said the ISIS were able to reorganize quickly and put up new channels and in a matter of five minutes, ISIS was back online.

CIA Director John Brennan at the Center for Strategic and International Studies announced Monday that ISIS has educated their selves on how to keep their activities online undetected by the authorities. He believes there could be gaps in the capabilities of intelligence agencies to protect the people. US officials are now looking into these "gaps."