Hacker Threatens To Leave Country In The Dark

[mea culpa <jericho () DIMENSIONAL COM>]

From: Nelson Murilo <nelson () pangeia com br>

[http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19990928/od/hacker_1.html]

Hacker Threatens To Leave Country In The Dark

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A computer hacker has threatened to break into the
computers of Belgian electricity generator Electrabel Wednesday afternoon
and halt the power supply to the entire country.

``Tomorrow I will leave Belgium without power, and that is not so
difficult,'' the anonymous hacker told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste
Nieuws.

``Wednesday I will get into Electrabel's computers between 1:30 and 3:30
in the afternoon and shut down all the electricity,'' the hacker said.

Electrabel, which has a virtual monopoly on Belgium's electricity market,
said it was taking the threat seriously but felt that the hacker had
little chance of succeeding.

``There is very little chance that Belgium could be without power,''
Electrabel spokesman Phillipe Massart told RTBF television.
``Nonetheless, the risk that someone could access the system always
exists.''

Massart said the systems that pilot Electrabel's power distribution were
developed specifically for the company and have protected connections. He
said the company was taking measures to ensure its security.

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