WASHINGTON (voa) – A U.S. newspaper reports al Qaida members may be planning to sabotage electronically-controlled services in the United States, such as power, water and emergency response systems.
The Washington Post says in its Thursday editions that there is evidence al Qaida members have been exploring ways to hack into the computer systems of public utilities and government offices.
Officials are quoted as saying they believe electronic sabotage would be used in conjunction with a physical attack, perhaps to shut down fire control, water or emergency communications systems.
The newspaper says the information comes from an examination of al Qaida-owned computers seized by security forces.
Some of those computers show repeated visits to Internet websites that give programming instructions for digital switches that are used to control public utilities. The simplest such devices can throw railway switches, close electric circuit-breakers or adjust pipe valves that carry water, oil or gas.
One laptop computer was found to have accessed several times a French website that offers a “Sabotage Handbook” teaching how to plan a hit on a public system and avoid detection.
The report says not all government officials agree on how serious the threat is; the Defense Department is reported to be skeptical. But Roger Cressey, chief of staff of the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board is quoted as saying this proves officials have been underestimating al Qaida’s technological sophistication and its intent to use it for harm.
The official said, in his words, “an attack is a question of when, not if.”
