Sure some people hate internet, but this man was about to cross all limits.
Another timely action by the FBI saves the world of the internet, a man was planning an attack on “Amazon Web Services” and got arrested in mid of his plans. May God keeps the devil’s ears closed, but if he had been successful in his plan, he would have taken away 70% of the world’s total data stored online.
Many storage companies provide online storage facilities now, but most of the data is still stored on Amazon servers, and it would be a nightmare for the world if it ever gets compromised like that.
The Amazon’s Data Centre located at Smith Switch road in Ashburn contains most of our important stuff that many individuals and companies have entrusted with. Online data storage on massive facilities such as Google’s and Amazon’s are like the hub of data on large storage devices set in a concentrated setting of which the largest one was targeted to be destroyed.
The 28-year-old man, Seth Aaron Pendley, planned on destroying the AWS in a bomb attack. He intended to use C4 plastic explosives to destroy the whole AWS building.
The man’s plan got revealed when he stated it on the MyMilitia, a forum used by Militia members and supporters to organize and coordinate evil-doings. FBI got the hint of it and confirmed the suspect when he appeared to buy the explosives from an undercover cop and instead got arrested.
Pendley shared a hand-made map of Amazon’s Virginia-based AWS data center via the signal encrypted MyMalitia messaging app. The map he shared with the source included the entries and exits of the AWS center and other information on his plan. Little did he know that he was setting his self for an arrest as the source shared that information with the police, upon which a staged explosive seller, actually an FBI agent, got to the scene.
While notifying the source of his plan, he mentioned that his major targets are databases that contain key information by the FBI, CIA, and other U.S federal agencies, making it more than a crucial attack, not only to take down the internet but also to wipe off all the records of sensitive organizations.
The suspect will face a sentence of 20 years in prison if really guilty of planning to blow up Amazon’s Virginia data center. “We are indebted to the concerned citizen who came forward to report the defendant’s alarming online rhetoric,” Acting US. Attorney Prerak Shah stated. “In tagging his posts to the FBI, the guy saved numerous lives of tech specialists and the precious data saved on Amazon servers.
“We are also incredibly proud of our FBI partners, who ensured that the defendant was apprehended with an inert explosive device before he could inflict real harm,” Shah added. Amazon told about the plan as follows.
“We would like to thank the FBI for their work in this investigation. We take the safety and security of our staff and customer data incredibly seriously and constantly review various vectors for any potential threats. We will continue to retain this vigilance about our employees and customers.”