(POLITICO) — The Islamic State is seeking the ability to launch cyberattacks against U.S. government and civilian targets in a potentially dangerous expansion of the terror group’s Internet campaign.
Though crippling attacks for now remain beyond the reach of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL, its hackers have tried to penetrate computers that regulate the nation’s electricity grid, U.S. officials say.
On shadowy Internet forums, ISIL sympathizers post photos and videos of airplane cockpits and discuss wanting to crash passenger jets by hacking into on-board electronics. Fellow extremists debate triggering a lethal radiation release by sending rogue commands to nuclear power plants, according to the New York-based threat intelligence firm Flashpoint.
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