Cyber Countdown

by Terence Flynn

  “Yeah, I see it. With all that white hair, he could be the ‘Whitey’ that Flaherty talked about in the interrogations. Probably a code name to protect his true identity.”

  “Do you think George Solomon could be the American contact you’re looking for?”

  “He could be. But based on how Flaherty described him and on some of the emails we saw, I’m not certain he’d help us.”

  “Yeah, that last email said he’s dragging his feet on the vacation for the students. I’m worried, Kim.”

  “Let’s see if we can find someone else as a contact.”

  After an hour of searching through emails, Kim found what he was looking for.

  “I found an interesting email from Flaherty to Nadya,” Kim said. “Flaherty told Nadya that George asked him to cancel the VSI board meeting because James Jordan wasn’t resigning his government CIO position. There are other emails referencing George’s concern that James’s return as the CEO of VSI might disrupt the project. He also recommended that the project schedule be shortened so it can be completed before James’s possible return.”

  “That explains our compressed project schedule, Kim.”

  “Yes it does, and I think we might have found our contact. Do a search of Flaherty’s address book and see if there’s an email account for James Jordan.”

  “Here it is, Kim. He’s listed as James Jordan, CEO of VSI with a VSI domain name.”

  “I know that corporation, Cai. VSI builds cybersecurity products. I think we need to share this with Shen. I’ll call him.”

  “Okay. I need to go back to my place to change into some clean clothes. I’ll be back.”

  Kim called Shen and invited him to his apartment. When he arrived, Kim showed him the relevant emails on his laptop.

  “What do you think this means, Kim?”

  “I think our attack on the American businesses triggered the attack on the Chinese government web pages.”

  “How?”

  “I believe the addresses we didn’t probe were probably preset to release a worm that attacked the Chinese government web pages.”

  “So when we attacked those addresses the worm was released?” Shen asked.

  “Yes, the worm was probably very sophisticated, like the Stuxnet worm that targeted the specific software used in the servers that controlled the Iranian nuclear centrifuges. I think this worm must have targeted unique software on the Chinese web servers.”

  “If we could prove that, then we’d have the evidence that we weren’t involved in the attacks.”

  “Yes, Shen, but to do that we’d need to access a Chinese government web server. I doubt there are any we’d have access to.”

  Shen smiled. “I’m not so sure. There’s a server at HIT and other universities that the Chinese government installed. It provides a web page that foreign students can access to apply for information about the university. It collects prospective student information, such as name, address, occupation, education, and family background that our Ministry of Intelligence uses to influence the admission process. They use it to find students who might be beneficial to China.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Lian and I are part of a team of HIT students that install security upgrades to the web server as part of a student project. It’s how we met. I know the unique web software they’re using, and I still have a current copy on a DVD. It’s proprietary to the Chinese government.”

  “Do you have access to the server?”

  “Yes, the government still uses students to make security upgrades to the server. It’s faster and cheaper, and the web server has no classified information.”

  “Good. Let’s check out that web server and see if it has any malware on it.”

  “And if it does?”

  “We’ll need to download it to those remaining USB drives Flaherty gave you.”

  “Why do you want to remove it? We should just leave it there, Kim. What if we get caught removing the data?”

  “I’m certain the attackers used malware with a time-based selfdestruct mechanism. That’s what I would do,” Kim explained. “Once the target time is reached, the evidence will be destroyed, preventing forensic analysis and destroying our alibi. We have to download the evidence before that happens.”

  Kim and Shen went to the server room at HIT. Shen logged into the web server from his laptop.

  “There are some unusual files on the server, and the web page for foreign students is corrupted, Kim.”

  “Good, that means the malware hasn’t been erased yet. Download everything onto two of the USB drives and reinstall the uncorrupted web software from your DVD. I’ve got to meet Cai.”

  Kim walked into his apartment and saw Cai hunched over her laptop.

  “Have you seen any more interesting emails while I was gone?”

  “Yes, there’s an email from earlier today between Nadya and Flaherty. Flaherty says they need to finalize the plans for the vacation in Munich. There’s one from George Solomon that says they need to recruit the best students for VSI, since they need new talent after the death of Philip Wu and the resignation of James Jordan.”

  “That’s really good work, Cai.”

  “Thanks, what’s next?”

  “I think we should do a web search on Philip Wu and James Jordan and see what we get.”

  After a brief search, Kim and Cai compared their results and found that both men were longtime friends and cofounders of VSI. The most interesting information was that James Jordan had been the CEO of VSI before being appointed by President Meredith to the position of Federal Chief Information Officer. It was described as a high-level position that gave him direct contact with the president.

  “Looks like we just found our contact, Cai.”

  “What’re you going to do?”

  “I’m going to draft an email from Flaherty’s account directly to James Jordan’s VSI account. I’ll then delete it from Flaherty’s folder to eliminate any record of it. The email will identify me as a student from HIT who was involved with twenty other students in hacking the American businesses. I’ll also state that the hackers were paid by George Solomon through a point of contact named Sean Flaherty.”

  “You should also let him know that none of the hackers knew anything about the attacks on the Chinese websites. That’s important, Kim.”

  “Yeah, that’s good. I’ll add that and also say that we were used by George Solomon and are in desperate trouble. The next part will definitely get his attention. It relates to something my uncle told me about a planned attack on the US fleet. I’ll include my email address at HIT. The school doesn’t monitor student accounts.”

  Several minutes later, Kim had completed a draft of the email and showed it to Cai.

  “Mr. Jordan seems like a very important person, Kim. I bet he gets a lot of emails every day that he doesn’t even read. We need to make sure he notices this one and reads it.”

  “I know. I’ve checked the high importance tag. But I need a title that will catch his attention. Do you have any ideas?” Kim asked.

  “Use ‘George Solomon and Chinese Cyber Attack.’ That should get his attention since he obviously knows Mr. Solomon.”

  “That’s good, Cai. I’m thinking we should also forward some of the emails we captured from George and Nadya that indicate his involvement. That will give us credibility as hackers and also provide background information on the project and George’s involvement.”

  After their meeting with the president at the White House, James and Rick drove to the Hoover Building. Rick led James to a conference room where he saw a man in his thirties dressed in an ill-fitting suit. As James walked in, the man stood up and with a slight Russian accent said, “Hello, Mr. Jordan. I’m Dimitri Vasin.”

  “I understand that you know George Solomon, or rather know of him,” James said.

  “That’s correct. Although I’ve never met him personally, I’m certain he’s the man who employed me over the past few years.”
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  “That’s very interesting. I’ve known George for twelve years and never heard him mention your name.”

  Dimitri smiled. “I doubt that he would. I’ve been employed by him for the last three years to perform special tasks of a private nature.”

  “What kind of tasks did you do for George?”

  “I can’t go into any detail.”

  James frowned. “We’re looking to find out exactly what George has been up to and whether he’s done what you say he has. The FBI wants to get sufficient proof to have him arrested and put in jail. I myself don’t work for the FBI, but I know George pretty well. He helped me and Philip Wu start our business.”

  James noticed Dimitri shift in his chair slightly when Philip’s name was mentioned.

  “Did you know Philip Wu, Mr. Vasin?”

  “No, but I recognized the name. He was your partner and was killed during a burglary at his house. It was all over the news about two months ago, wasn’t it?”

  “That’s correct, he was my best friend. If you know anything about his death, I’d like to know.”

  Dimitri changed the subject.

  “Do you think George was responsible for your partner’s murder?”

  “I never even considered that and I’m not sure I’d ever believe it. George and Philip knew each other even longer than I’ve known George.”

  “I didn’t know that. What would you like me to do with respect to Mr. Solomon, Agent Tanner?”

  “You’re to provide surveillance on George through any legal means available. I want regular reports with photos on who George met with and where he went. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Agent Tanner.”

  After Dimitri left, Rick asked James what he thought.

  “I think he knew Philip somehow. His posture changed when I mentioned Philip’s name.”

  “I noticed that too,” Rick said. “It’s something to keep in mind. Let me ask you something: Have you found any information on who implemented that bogus patch?”

  “Not yet, but I have some candidates. The problem isn’t so much ‘who’ as it is ‘why.’ I think this was more than just an attempt to piss off our businesses and the Chinese government. Did you see the drop in the stock market?”

  “So you think someone was trying to manipulate the stock market?”

  “Yes, I really do, Rick. We should look at who was buying as the stock market was crashing.”

  “I know who might be able to help us with that. The new chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.”

  “Maybe, but I have someone else in mind, Rick. How’d you and Allison like to join us for dinner tonight at Michelle’s?”

  “Sounds great. I’ll text her.”

  James called JoAnn.

  “I have reservations at Michelle’s for tonight at seven. Are you up for it?”

  “Definitely. What time should we meet?”

  “Meet me at my place at four.”

  “Why so early?” she asked, and then realized why. “Forget that last comment, baby.”

  “Great, see you at four—all of you.”

  Rick laughed. “You’re a dog, James.”

  “Is Allison coming?”

  “Yes, she’s looking forward to meeting the senator.”

  “I’m heading home, Rick. I need a nap before JoAnn arrives.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s been a tough few days and you need to be rested for the main event.”

  James got home and was asleep in seconds after lying down on his bed. He slept soundly until JoAnn arrived, and then started removing his pants after taking off all her clothes. James let her continue and enjoyed the experience of JoAnn leading. After an hour of passion, JoAnn took a nap, while James got up and took a shower. He then woke JoAnn so that she could shower and dress while he checked his email.

  James saw some emails from Sean Flaherty, listed as high importance. He assumed it was about the postponed VSI board meeting and almost ignored them until he saw the subject.

  JoAnn came out of the bedroom and then walked into his office after hearing him say, “Oh my God,” several times.

  “Is everything okay, James?”

  “I’m not sure, these emails are incredible. There’s one from George’s attorney, but it was actually sent by someone else.”

  “Someone probably hacked his account. I know people who had that happen, and their contacts get ads for Viagra or something.”

  “This isn’t the same, baby. This email is from a student in Harbin, China, claiming that he was one of twenty hackers paid by George to hack American businesses. He says that none of the hackers knew anything about the attacks from America on Chinese government websites. His knowledge of Nadya, George, and his attorney Sean Flaherty makes him credible. He says they were all used by George and might be in serious trouble with the Chinese.”

  “Do you think he’s telling the truth, James? It might just be a hoax.”

  “I don’t think so. He forwarded emails between George, George’s attorney, and Nadya that discuss plans to get the students out of China. He also says he has critical information about a planned military attack on the US fleet that he needs to get to the president. The email includes his email address at the Harbin Institute of Technology. If this is a hoax, it’s a very elaborate one.”

  “What’re you going to do?”

  “I’m asking him for some additional proof. I have the list of network addresses that had the highest rate of exploitation. The ones that made the VSI security products look like Swiss cheese. I’m asking him if he knows which ones they are. If he answers correctly, there’s no doubt about his credibility. I’m also forwarding the emails to Rick.”

  “So I guess this will be a working dinner?”

  “Sorry, baby, but a possible attack on the US fleet takes priority.”

  “As a US Senator, I have to agree.”

  “Could you drive, baby? I need to text Rick that we’re on our way and also check my email.”

  “Do I have to drive your rocket?”

  “No, we can take your car.”

  As James walked into the restaurant with JoAnn, he could see the look on Rick’s face and knew he’d seen the emails.

  “Do you think it’s real?” James asked.

  “It sure looks like it, but we need to wait for his response on those addresses before we know for sure.”

  “Does anyone know what time it is in Harbin?” James asked.

  Allison responded. “It’s seven thirty in the morning tomorrow. I spent two semesters in China when I was in undergraduate school.”

  “That means we could get our answer while eating dinner.”

  Michelle seated them and brought them their drinks. James tried to keep the conversation light, but he could see everyone was holding their breath each time his phone buzzed. He looked at his email five times with no luck.

  They’d finished dinner and were ordering dessert when the phone buzzed again. James looked at the email and nodded his head. He took the piece of paper with the addresses out of his pocket and handed it to Rick.

  “He says he only has the ones that were attacked from Harbin. Check them off as I say them, Rick.”

  After Rick had checked them all, James said, “He’s for real, and his name is Kim. I’m sending an email back to him saying we authenticated the information. I’ll also send an email from my government account letting him know that we’ll meet with some people in the US government who could help, such as Barbara Chang.”

  “When are you going to contact her, James?”

  “Right now,” James said, as he dialed his phone.

  “Barbara, sorry to bother you at this hour, but I need to discuss something urgent that just came up. It involves the Chinese cyber attacks. I don’t want to talk over the phone. What’s the earliest you can meet me? It’s really urgent.”

  “I’m in DC. Do you still live in Arlington?”

  “Yes, Crystal City. I’ll text you my address.”

  “I’
ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  James texted his address and said, “We all need to go. Barbara’s going to meet us at my condo.”

  They all were at James’s condo in twenty minutes.

  “What a view of the Potomac. This is really nice, James.”

  “Thanks, Allison. Does anyone want a drink or something?”

  James’s phone rang and Barbara said she was at the front desk. He went down to the lobby to escort her up.

  “I’m sorry you had to leave your party, Barbara.”

  “I should thank you, James. It was a boring fund-raiser, and the food was horrible. Can you show me the emails?”

  “They’re on my laptop on the table.”

  Barbara read the emails and said, “My God, have you confirmed this as being accurate, James?”

  “Yes, I have. Kim knew details about the cyber attack that only the hackers would know.”

  Barbara called the president as she walked toward a more private area. James heard her say, “Okay, we’ll be right there.”

  “The president wants to see you and Rick immediately, James. Bring your laptop. I’ll drive.”

  As Barbara drove, she went into a tirade about George.

  “I warned the president about George. He can’t be trusted. The old bastard thinks he’s bulletproof because he was the largest financer of the president’s campaign. I’m just glad I limited his access to the president, or this could’ve been worse. As it is, I know the opposition will still try to use this to discredit the administration. We need to get out in front of this and make sure George is held responsible for his actions. I’ll bet he put those students in jeopardy and created the conflict between the US and China just to manipulate the stock market and pad his bank account.”

  “I’ve known George for a long time, Barbara. We may need more proof than an email from a hacker in China and a statement by a Russian expatriate to bring him down.”

  “Yeah, I know. Okay, we’re here. Follow me. We’re going to the private residence.”

  James had never seen the president wear anything other than a suit and was surprised to see him in jeans and a Washington Nationals sweatshirt.