The Register, et britisk netsted for teknologi og sikkerhed, kan fortælle at et vandreservoir blev udsat for hacking af kontrolsystemet, slik at mengden af kemikalier blev forøget kraftigt. Vandreservoiret hører hjemme i USA.

Hackerne fik tilgang til vandværkets 2,5 mill. kundedatabase, men ingenting har sket med deres oplysninger. Spørgsmålet er således om det var jihadister der testede om de kunne skaffe sig kontrol over kemikaliedoseringen og derigennem forgifte indbyggerne.

Det er Robert Spencer som beretter historien i pjamedia.com:

Revelation of this attack comes from the March 2016 security breach report published by Verizon Security Solutions, which referred to the water plant that was attacked with the alias “Kemuri Water Company (KWC).” It explained how the hackers had been able to burrow deeply and repeatedly inside the workings of the company. They were only stopped from doing massive damage by their ignorance of how water plants actually operated:

“Our endpoint forensic analysis revealed a linkage with the recent pattern of unauthorised crossover. Using the same credentials found on the payment app webserver, the threat actors were able to interface with the water district’s valve and flow control application, also running on the AS400 system. We also discovered four separate connections over a 60-day period, leading right up to our assessment.

During these connections, the threat actors modified application settings with little apparent knowledge of how the flow control system worked. In at least two instances, they managed to manipulate the system to alter the amount of chemicals that went into the water supply and thus handicap water treatment and production capabilities so that the recovery time to replenish water supplies increased.

Fortunately, based on alert functionality, KWC was able to quickly identify and reverse the chemical and flow changes, largely minimising the impact on customers. No clear motive for the attack was found.”

At jihadisterne har planer om at angribe infrastrukturen i samfundet for slik at forårsage massedød, er ikke af ny dato. Det er en type trussel som myndighederne ikke taler højt om.

Efter Brussel-terroren kom det frem at jihadisterne havde planer om at angribe et atomkraftværk.

Spencer giver nogle eksempler på tidligere forsøg på at forgifte vandet:

 As far back as 2002, the feds arrested two jihadis who were carrying plans about how to poison water supplies.

In 2003, al-Qaeda threatened to poison water supplies in Western countries.

In 2011, a Muslim in Spain planned to poison water supplies.

In May 2013, seven Muslim “chemical engineers” were caught trespassing at the Quabbin Reservoir, a key supply of water for Boston, after midnight. Only months later — and indirectly — did the public hear that it was a “criminal matter.” A month later, locks were cut at the aqueduct that supplies water to Greater Boston.

Also in May 2013, jihadists were caught in Canada who had considered poisoning the air and water to murder up to 100,000 people.

In October 2013, the FBI was investigating a possible water supply threat in Wichita.

In January 2014, a Muslim broke into a water treatment plant in New Jersey.

Hvorvidt alle eksemplene er patente krever detailkundskab. Men at jihadister ser på samfundets svage punkter, herunder infrastruktur, er hævet over tvivl. Hvilke konsekvenser et slikt angreb vil få for forholdet mellem europæere og muslimer kan man bare gætte på.