Terminal Compromise, Winn Schwartau [sight word books txt] 📗
- Author: Winn Schwartau
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what else is all from one man, Homosoto, then yes, it’s a army,
an attack.”
“What if we declare war?” Secretary of State Quinton Chambers
said, fully expecting immediate agreement with his idea.
“On who? The Computers?” jibed Defense Secretary Coletree. “The
damned Computer Liberation Organization will be the next endan-
gered minority.”
“Declaring war is a joke, excuse me Mr. President,” said Phil
Musgrave. “It’s a joke and the American people won’t buy it.
They’re getting hit where it hurts them the most. In their pock-
ets. We have major business shut downs, and they want an answer.
A fix, not a bunch of hype. We’ve had the war on crime, the war
on drugs, the war on poverty and they’ve all been disasters.
Things are worse now than before. They’ve had it with bullshit
and they’re scared right now.”
The President bowed and rotated his head to work out a kink.
“The position of think,” Musgrave would say. Then the refreshing
snap in the President’s neck would bring a smile of relief to the
corners of Chief Executive’s mouth.
“What if we did it and meant it?” asked the President with a
devilish grin. No one responded. “What if we declared war, with
the approval of Congress, and actually did something about it.”
“A unique concept,” quipped Musgrave. “Government accomplishing
something.” Penetrating glares from Coletree and Kennedy only
furthered the President’s amusement. He enjoyed the banter.
“No, let me run this by you, and see what you think,” the Presi-
dent thought out loud. “We are facing a crisis of epic propor-
tions, we all agree on that. Potential economic chaos. Why
don’t we deal with it that way. Why don’t we really go out and
fix it?” Still no reactions. “What is wrong with you guys?
Don’t you get it? Mediocrity is pass. It can’t be sold to the
this country again. For the first time in almost two centuries,
the American people may have to defend themselves, in their homes
and businesses on their home land. If that’s the case, then I
think that leadership should come from the White House.”
The President rose and leaned on the back of his chair. There
was quiet muttering among his top aides. “Aren’t you stretching
the point a little, sir?” asked the Chambers, the silver haired
statesman. “After all, it was just one man . . .”
“That’s the point!” shouted the President. “That’s the whole
damned point.” He strode around to the old white fireplace with
a photo of George Washington above it. If permitted, this spot
would be labeled ‘Photo Opportunity’ by the White House tours.
“Look what one man can do. I never claimed to know anything
about computers, but what if this was a warning?”
“Don’t get maudlin on us . . .”
“I am not getting anything except angry,” the President said
raising his voice. “I remember what they said about Bush. They
said if he was Moses, he would have brought down the ten sugges-
tions. That will not happen to me.”
The inner circle stole questioning glances from each other.
“This country has not had a common cause since Kennedy pointed us
at the moon. We had the chance in the ‘70’s to build a national
energy policy, and we screwed it up royally when oil prices were
stable. So what do we do?” His rhetorical question was best
left unanswered. “We now import more than 50% of our oil.
That’s so stupid . . .don’t let me get started.” There was an
obvious sigh of relief from Chambers and Musgrave and the others.
When the President got like this, real pissed off, he needed a
sounding board, and it was generally one or more of them. Such
was the price of admission to the inner circle.
The President abruptly shifted his manner from the political
altruist still inside him to the management realist that had made
him a popular leader. He spoke with determination.
“Gentlemen, exactly what is the current policy and game plan?”
The President’s gaze was not returned. “Henry? Andrew?” Mus-
grave and Chambers and Secretary of the Treasury Martin Royce
wished they could disappear into the wallpaper. They had seen it
before, and they were seeing it again. Senior aides eaten alive
by the President.
“Henry? What’s the procedure?” The President’s voice showed
increasing irritation.
“Sir, CERT, the Computer Emergency Response Team was activated a
few months ago to investigate Network Penetrations,” Henry
Kennedy said. “ECCO, another computer team is working with the
FBI on related events. Until yesterday we didn’t even know what
we were up against, and we still barely understand it.”
“That doesn’t change the question, Henry. What are the channel
contingencies? Do I have to spell it out?” The President mel-
lowed some. “I was hoping to spare myself the embarrassment of
bringing attention to the fact that the President of the United
States is unaware of the protocol for going to war with a comput-
er.” The lilt in his voice cut the edge in the room, momentari-
ly. “Now that that is out in the open, please enlighten us all.”
The jaws were preparing to close tightly.
Henry Kennedy glanced nervously over at Andrew Coletree who
replied by rubbing the back of his neck. “Sir,” Henry said,
“basically there is no defined, coordinated, that is established
procedures for something like this.” The President’s neck red-
dened around the collar as Henry stuttered. “If you will permit
me to explain . . .”
The President was furious. In over thirty years of professional
politics, not even his closest aides had ever seen him so totally
out of character. The placid Texan confidence he normally exud-
ed, part well designed media image, part real, was completely
shattered.
“Are you telling me that we spent almost $4 trillion dollars,
four goddamn trillion dollars on defense, and we’re not prepared
to defend our computers? You don’t have a game plan? What the
hell have we been doing for the last 12 years?” The President
bellowed as loudly as anyone could remember. No one in the room
answered. The President glared right through each of his senior
aides.
“Damage Assessment Potential?” The President said abruptly as he
forced a fork full of scrambled eggs into his mouth.
“The Federal Reserve and most banking transactions come to a
virtual standstill. Airlines grounded save for emergency opera-
tions. Telephone communications running at 30% or less of
capacity. No Federal payments for weeks. Do you want me to
continue?”
“No, I get the picture.”
The President wished to God he wouldn’t be remembered as the
President who allowed the United States of America to slip back-
ward 50 years. He waited for the steam in his collar to subside
before saying anything he might regret.
“Marv?” For the first time the President acknowledged the
presence of Marvin Jacobs, Director of the National Security
Agency. Jacobs had thus far been a silent observer. He respond-
ed to the President.
“Yessir?”
“I will be signing a National Security Decision Directorate and a
Presidential Order later today, authorizing the National Security
Agency to lead the investigation of computer crimes, and related
events that may have an effect on the national security.” The
President’s words stunned Jacobs and Coletree and the others
except for Musgrave.
“Sir?”
“Do you or do you not have the largest computers in the world?”
Jacobs nodded in agreement. “And do you not listen in to every-
thing going on in the world in the name of National Security?”
Jacobs winced and noticed that besides the President, others were
interested in his answer. He meekly acknowledged the assumption
by a slight tilt of his head.
“I recall, Marv,” the President said, “that in 1990 you yourself
asked for the National Computer Security Center to be disbanded
and be folded into the main operations of the Agency. Bush
issued a Presidential Order rescinding Reagan’s NSDD-145. Do you
recall?”
“Yes, of course I do,” said Marvin defensively. “It made sense
then, and given it’s charter, it still makes sense. But you must
understand that the Agency is only responsible for military
security. NIST handles civilian.”
“Do you think that the civilian agencies and the commercial
computers face any less danger than the military computers?” The
President quickly qualified his statement. “Based upon what we
know now?”
“No, not at all.” Jacobs felt himself being boxed into a corner.
“But we’re not tooled up for . . .”
“You will receive all the help you need,” the President said with
assurance. “I guarantee it.” His words dared anyone to defy
his command.
“Yessir,” Jacobs said humbly. “What about NIST?”
“Do you need them?”
“No question.”
“Consider it done. I expect you all here at the same time tomor-
row with preliminary game plans.” He knew that would get their
attention. Heads snapped up in disbelief.
“One day?” complained Andrew Coletree. “There’s no way that
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