Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Possible Terror Threat for San Diego?

While looking at my histats, something peculiar came up:
(click to enlarge)

My hair stood on end. I thought it somewhat peculiar that anyone would be searching for blueprints for the San Diego Sewer system; so I went and checked out the IP address:
OrgName:    Latin American and Caribbean IP address Regional Registry
OrgID: LACNIC
Address: Rambla Republica de Mexico 6125
City: Montevideo
StateProv:
PostalCode: 11400
Country: UY

ReferralServer: whois://whois.lacnic.net

NetRange: 201.0.0.0 - 201.255.255.255
CIDR: 201.0.0.0/8
NetName: LACNIC-201
NetHandle: NET-201-0-0-0-1
Parent:
NetType: Allocated to LACNIC
NameServer: NS.LACNIC.NET
NameServer: NS2.DNS.BR
NameServer: TINNIE.ARIN.NET
NameServer: NS-SEC.RIPE.NET
NameServer: SEC3.APNIC.NET
NameServer: NS3.AFRINIC.NET
Comment: This IP address range is under LACNIC responsibility
Comment: for further allocations to users in LACNIC region.
Comment: Please see http://www.lacnic.net/ for further details,
Comment: or check the WHOIS server located at whois.lacnic.net
RegDate: 2003-04-03
Updated: 2006-10-23

OrgTechHandle: LACNIC-ARIN
OrgTechName: LACNIC Whois Info
OrgTechPhone:
OrgTechEmail: whois-contact@lacnic.net

# ARIN WHOIS database, last updated 2007-09-17 19:10
# Enter ? for additional hints on searching ARIN's WHOIS database.
Now why would someone who's supposedly currently in Uruguay want to obtain blueprints for the sewer system of the city of San Diego?

I contacted the FBI with this information, first by phone. The guy on the other end pretty much hmmm'd and hawwed but finally found a person who is an expert in "cyber crime," gave me his email address, and had me email that person with the information.

I don't know how strong the Gorelick wall continues to be, but my hope is that if I publish this information on this blog, and if it gets picked up, it may prompt some more timely and intensive investigation. My fear is that this information will go nowhere. If this turns out to be a benign coincidence, my apologies in advance; but I could never live with myself if it were otherwise.

People in San Diego--are you listening?