Man Indicted In Kansas Water Facility Breach

Today the US Department of Justice charged a Kansas man for breaching a public water system and trying to shut down the water functioning process with the intention of damaging the local community. 

The official statement has been posted on Wednesday by the Department of Justice (DOJ); The 22-year-old man named Wyatt A. Travnichek, accused of hacking into the computer system of the local water utility is a native of Ellsworth County, Kan. He was well aware of the public damage that could be caused by getting access to the Ellsworth County Rural Water District’s (also known as Post Rock Rural Water District) computer system with illegal means. He tried to sabotage the water running system, according to the sources. 

The episode first appeared on 27 March 2019, when Post Rock experienced an uncertified remote trespass the facility system and successfully shut down the whole functioning operations. 

Lance Ehrig, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Kansas said that “By illegally tampering with a public drinking water system, the defendant threatened the safety and health of an entire community…”

“…EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the laws designed to protect our drinking water systems from harm or threat of harm. Today’s indictment sends a clear message that individuals who intentionally violate these laws will be vigorously prosecuted.” 

Nevertheless, the court’s documents had not mentioned whether Travnichek’s operation was successful or not. Additionally, the court did not explain how the operation was detected. In this regard, the officials stated that Travnichek was an employee of the Post Rock Rural Water District from January 2018 to January 2019 until he resigned from the facility in January 2019. 

Post Rock provides water facilities around eight Kansas counties. Part of Travnichek’s job was to log in to the Post Rock computer system to monitor the plant after hours, but he ended up exploiting the system by illicitly accessing it. 

“He logged in remotely to Post Rock Rural Water District’s computer system and performed activities that shut down processes at the facility which affect the facility’s cleaning and disinfecting procedures with the intention of harming the Ellsworth County Rural Water District No. 1,” the document further reads.