The Web site of a Portland State University graduate student has been targeted in a wave of Internet hackings supporting al-Qaida, attracting federal authorities and terrorism experts who worry the break-in may be more than a prank.
Files planted in Conrado Salas Cano’s personal Web site housed threats against the United States, tributes to the Sept. 11 attacks and purported messages from Osama bin Laden. The physics student said the files were added without his knowledge or consent.
The FBI reportedly launched an investigation, and some cyberterrorism followers said it resembled attacks by the online propaganda unit of al-Qaida, the Islamic group led by bin Laden. But it is unclear whether the cyber-intruders represent a terrorist threat or are playing a joke on Cano, whose site explores theories about science and space.