Security News > 2021 > April > FBI arrests man for plan to kill “70% of Internet” in AWS bomb attack

The FBI arrested a Texas man on Thursday for allegedly planning to "Kill of about 70% of the internet" in a bomb attack targeting an Amazon Web Services data center on Smith Switch Road in Ashburn, Virginia.

Seth Aaron Pendley, 28, was charged via criminal complaint on Friday morning for attempting to destroy a building using C-4 plastic explosives he tried to buy from an undercover FBI employee.

FBI agents found in late January from another source Pendley contacted using the Signal encrypted messaging app that he was planning to use C-4 plastic explosives to attack Amazon's data centers in an attempt to "Kill off about 70% of the internet," according to the criminal complaint filed today.

The same source introduced the suspect to an undercover FBI employee posing as an explosives supplier at the end of March.

Pendley told the "Supplier" that he was planning to bomb servers he believed were used by the FBI, CIA, and other US federal agencies.

"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." - An AWS Spokesperson.

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