INCIDENT: Disgruntled ex-employee dumps raw sewage

Vitek Boden, worked for Hunter Watertech, an Australian firm that installed SCADA radio-controlled sewage equipment for the Maroochy Shire Council in Queensland, Australia. Boden was having a “strained relationship” with Hunter Watertech and left the company. He then applied for a job with the Maroochy Shire Council. The Council did not hire him, so he decided to get even with both the Council and Hunter Watertech. He loaded his car with radio equipment attached to a configuration computer and drove around the area on at least 46 occasions from February 28 to April 23, 2000, issuing radio commands to the sewage equipment that he (probably) helped install. He caused 800,000 liters of raw sewage to spill out into local parks, rivers and even the grounds of a Hyatt Regency hotel. A representative of the Australian Environmental Protection Agency representative stated that the creek water had turned black, Marine life died, and the stench was unbearable for residents. Boden got caught when a policeman pulled him over for a traffic violation after one of his attacks. He was sentenced to two years in jail and ordered him to reimburse the Council for cleanup.

Incident Date

February 28, 2000

Location

Australia

Estimated Cost

No cost values disclosed.

Victims

Type of Malware:

No Malware identified

Threat Source:

References:

  • Protecting Drinking Water Utilities from Cyber Threats
  • Cyberterrorism: fear factor
  • Malicious Control System Cyber Security Attack Case Study– Maroochy Water Services, Australia1
  • Maroochy Water Breach – Slideshow
  • Cybersafety Analysis of the Maroochy Shire Sewage Spill
  • Classic Hacker Case – Maroochy

Industries:

Water and Waste Water

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