Zeus and Io - Book 3
Copyright© 2014 by Harry Carton
Chapter 6
Io
I prepared two messages to POTUS. The first to go out over my name as "IO" – the super hacker that has a contract to defend the DOD's computers against attack and a similar agreement with Goldman-Sachs.
1.
"Mr. President,
Congratulations on your reelection.
I assume you have been keeping up with the attempted intrusions on DOD installations. Most have come from Russia – they are the crudest attempts at Denial of Service on the Pentagon servers – and China. The Chinese attacks are more difficult to stop and combine DOS attacks with hidden attacks attempting to infiltrate directly via brute force password attempts. The Chinese have been attempting to infiltrate DOD installations all around the world. As previously instructed by you, I have not made any attempt to counterattack.
I have one new item for you today.
There will be an attempt by Chinese agents to take down the electric grid in the United States and/or Canada. I do not have any details yet, except that it is scheduled for late January or early February. I believe that it will be a cyber attack, since that is the only way I can detect to take down large portions of the grid. It could be a physical attack at many substations simultaneously.
Accordingly, I request that you do three things.
First, immediately insist that all remote access be accomplished by the use of two passwords of at least 12 characters. In the event of a cyber attack, that will increase the time available to implement counter measures. I do not care if the users have to write the passwords on paper and hide it somewhere – just nowhere electronic.
Secondly, of course, I request that you allow me to provide digital security for the most important electrical generating facilities. I'd suggest that you specify the top 25 or so critical power facilities and let me know.
Third, beef up security at important inter-state grid nodes, and create duplicate nodes at different locations as quickly as possible. Remember that the attack should come in late January. That doesn't give you much time to prepare.
IO
I/O Security Systems"
The second message was to come from "The Patriot Sniper" as Zeus has come to be known in certain circles.
2.
"Mr. President,
I have it on very good authority that there will be a kidnapping on or about the week of December 22.
I am but one man, and your resources are many. In attempting to prevent such a kidnapping, I believe the many will be much stronger than the one.
Good luck.
The Patriot Sniper"
I prepared these documents and submitted them to Arti on her tablet. She reviewed them on the way to Austin, and then handed the tablet to Zeus.
"Good text, Io," Zeus said. "We should add the name of Alison Hartnet to the second letter. Without something more specific, the warning will be meaningless. I take it that you think this is a job for the Fibbies instead of us doing it."
"You are correct about naming Hartnet. I had neglected to include that detail."
"Io? You forgot a detail? Do we need to have your chips dusted?" Artemis was kidding, I think.
"No, Artemis, my chips are all fine, I assure you. I have Midnight do a physical check on the computer arrays every week. I will modify the letter accordingly ... As to the FBI, Not at all, Zeus." I had worked out that 'Fibbies' meant the FBI – a simple alphabetical transformation of the type that humans in general and Zeus in particular we fond of. (Note to self: the preceeding sentence ending with a preposition. Although it is a technical violation of the rules of grammar, I've found that humans often do this. At least the humans with whom I am in contact. Query for tertiary processing: how common is this in normal speech?) "In fact I calculate the probability that the attack will be renewed at just over 92%. When a player has his knight, bishop, queen, and rooks all trying to capture an enemy piece and is thwarted, then that player often redoubles his effort in a subsequent attack. This is especially true if the target is an important piece – or is perceived to be of importance.
"The same is true of you Zeus. They perceive you to be of importance. We must be careful.
"I believe that the initial attack on Hartnet will fail – with FBI assistance – and the subsequent attack will come when the authorities release their watch. That is when we shall eliminate the other team."
"Oh. Okay. I'd ask where you came up with the 92% number, but then you'd probably tell me ... So ... I'll just take your word for it," Zeus laughed.
"It's a question of evaluating human response plus game theory. You forgot, perhaps, that part of the original 'me' was a chess program," I explained.
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