Terminal Compromise, Winn Schwartau [sight word books txt] 📗

smiled to herself as the dorky college

professor handed it right to a United States Senator. “The

incidence of computer viruses has been on a logarithmic increase

for the past several years. If a human disease infected at the

same rate, we would declare a medical state of emergency.”

“Doctor,” implored Rickfield. “Aren’t you exaggerating . . .?”

“No Senator, here are the facts. There are currently over 5000

known computer viruses and strains that have been positively

identified. Almost five thousand, Senator.” The good Doctor

was a skilled debater, and Rickfield was being sucked in by his

attack on the witness. The figure three thousand impressed

everyone. A few low whistles echoed through the large chamber.

Stupid move Merrill, though Nancy.

“It is estimated, sir, that at the current rate, there will be

over 100,000 active viruses in five years,” Dr. Sternman dryly

spoke to Rickfield, “that every single network in the United

States, Canada and the United Kingdom is infected with at least

one computer virus. That is the equivalent of having one member

of every family in the country being sick at all times. That is

an epidemic, and one that will not go away. No sir, it will not.”

Sternman’s voice rose. “It will not go away. It will only get

worse.”

“That is a most apoplectic prophesy, Doctor. I think that many

of us would have trouble believing the doom and gloom you por-

tend.” Rickfield was sloughing off the Doctor, but Sternman was

here to tell a story, and he would finish.

“There is more, Senator. Recent reports show that over 75% of

the computers in the People’s Republic of China are infected with

deadly and destructive software. Why? The look on your face

asks the question. Because, almost every piece of software in

that country is bootleg, illegal copies of popular programs.

That invites viruses. Since vast quantities of computers come

from the Pacific Rim, many with prepackaged software, new comput-

er equipment is a source of computer viruses that was once con-

sidered safe. Modem manufacturers have accidentally had viruses

on their communications software; several major domestic software

manufacturers have had their shrink-wrapped software infected.

“If you recall in 1989, NASA brought Virus Busters to Cape Kenne-

dy and Houston to thwart a particular virus that threatened a

space launch. A year later as everyone remembers, NASA computers

were invaded forcing officials to abort a flight. The attacks go

on, and they inflict greater damage than is generally thought.

“Again, these are our best estimates, that over 90% of all viral

infections go unreported.”

“Doctor, 90%? Isn’t that awfully high?” Nancy asked.

“Definitely, yes, but imagine the price of speaking out. I have

talked to hundreds of companies, major corporations, that are

absolutely terrified of anyone knowing that their computers have

been infected. Or they have been the target of any computer

crime for that matter. They feel that the public, their custom-

ers, maybe even their stockholders, might lose faith in the

company’s ability to protect itself. So? Most viral attacks go

unreported.

“It’s akin to computer rape.” Dr. Sternman had a way with words

to keep his audience attentive. Years of lecturing to sleeping

freshman had taught him a few tricks. “A computer virus is

uninvited, it invades the system, and then has its way with it.

If that’s not rape, I don’t know what is.”

“Your parallels are most vivid,” said a grimacing Nancy Deere.

“Let’s leave that thought for now, and maybe you can explain the

type of damage that a virus can do. It sounds to me like there

are thousands of new diseases out there, and every one needs to

be isolated, diagnosed and then cured. That appears to me to a

formidable challenge.”

“I could not have put it better, Senator. You grasp things

quickly.” Sternman was genuinely complimenting Nancy. “The

similarities to the medical field cannot go unnoticed if we are

to deal with the problem rationally and effectively. And like a

disease, we need to predict the effects of the infection. What

we have found in that area is as frightening.

“The first generation of viruses were simple in their approach.

The designers correctly assumed that no one was looking for them,

and they could enter systems without any deterrence. They erase

files, scramble data, re-format hard drives . . .make the comput-

er data useless.

“Then the second generation of viruses came along with the

nom-de-guerre stealth. These viruses hid themselves more elabo-

rately to avoid detection and had a built in self-preservation

instinct. If the virus thinks it’s being probed, it self de-

structs or hides itself even further.

“In addition, second generation viruses learned how to become

targeted. Some viruses have been designed to only attack a

competitor’s product and nothing else.”

“Is that possible?” Asked Nancy Deere.

“It’s been done many times. Some software bugs in popular soft-

ware are the result of viral infections, others may be genuine

bugs. Imagine a virus who sole purpose is to attack Lotus 123

spreadsheets. The virus is designed to create computational

errors in the program’s spreadsheets. The user then thinks that

Lotus is to blame and so he buys another product. Yes, ma’am, it

is possible, and occurs every day of the week. Keeping up with

it is the trick.

“Other viruses attack on Friday the 13th. only, some attack only

at a specified time . . .the damage to be done is only limited by

imagination of the programmers. Third generation viruses were

even more sophisticated. They were designed to do damage not

only to the data, but to the computer hardware itself. Some were

designed to overload communications ports with tight logical

loops. Others were designed to destroy the hard disk by directly

overdriving the disk or would cause amonitor to self-destruct.

There is no limit to the possibilities.

“You sound as though you hold their skills in high regard, Doc-

tor.” Rickfield continued to make snide remarks whenever possi-

ble.

“Yessir, I do. Many of them have extraordinary skills, that are

unfortunately misguided. They are a new breed of bored

criminal.”

“You mentioned earlier Doctor, that there were over 5000 known

viruses. How fast is the epidemic, as you put it, spreading?”

Senator Nancy Deere asked while making prolific notes throughout.

“For all intents and purposes Senator, they spread unchecked.

There is a certain amount of awareness of the problem, but it is

only superficial. The current viral defenses include signature

identification, cyclic redundancy checks and intercept verifica-

tion, but the new viruses can combat those as a matter of rule.

If the current rate of viral infection continues, it will be a

safe bet that nearly every computer in the country will be in-

fected ten times over within three years.”

Dr. Arnold Sternman spent the next half hour answering insightful

questions from Nancy Deere, and even Puglasi became concerned

enough to ask a few. Rickfield continued with his visceral

comments to the constant amazement of the gallery and spectators.

Scott could only imagine the raking Rickfield would receive in

the press, but being Friday, the effects will be lessened.

Besides, it seemed as if Rickfield just didn’t give a damn.

Rickfield dismissed and perfunctorily thanked Dr. Sternman. He

prepared for the next speaker, but Senator Deere leaned over and

asked him for a five minute conclave. He was openly reluctant,

but as she raised her voice, he conceded. In a private office

off to the side, Nancy Deere came unglued.

“What kind of stunt are you pulling out there, Senator?” She

demanded as she paced the room. “I thought this was a hearing,

not a lynching.”

Rickfield slouched in a plush leather chair and appeared uncon-

cerned. “I am indeed sorry,” he said with the pronounced drawl

of a Southern country gentleman, “that the young Senatoress finds

cross examination unpleasant. Perhaps if we treated this like a

neighborhood gossip session, it might be easier.”

“Now one damned minute,” she yelled while pointing a finger right

at Rickfield. “That was not cross-examination; it was harassment

and I for one am embarrassed for you. And two, do not, I repeat,

do not, ever patronize me. I am not one of your cheap call

girls.” She could not have knocked Rickfield over any harder

with a sledgehammer.

“You bitch!” Rickfield rose to confront her standing nine inches

taller. “You stupid bitch. You have no idea what’s at stake.

None. It’s bigger than you. At this rate I can assure you, you

will never have an ear in Washington. Never. You will be deaf,

dumb and blind in this town. I have been on this Hill for thirty

years and paid my dues and I will not have a middle aged June

Cleaver undermine a lifetime of work just because she smells her

first cause.”

Undaunted, Nancy stood her ground. “I don’t know what you’re