Chasm Waxing: A Startup, Cyber-Thriller

by BMichaelsAuthor

  The atmosphere at NTOC was even more tense than NSOC. NTOC network sensors were lighting up all over the Middle East.

  NTOC’s Director briefed Shields. “We’ve lost control of all our drones involved in operations over Persia and Iraq. They’ve been forced to land. Every one of our naval assets in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean is reporting severely degraded comms. All manned aircraft on patrol or reconnaissance are being recalled. Pilots are reporting anomalies with their cockpit’s instruments.

  “No one has ever seen anything like this. We’re having real trouble ascertaining the source of these advanced persistent threats. This is the worst breach of DoD networks—ever. Someone is in complete control of US military comms in the Middle East.”

  NTOC’s briefing was like a punch to Shields’ kidney. He labored to catch his breath. He’d hoped to be in a position to manage an aggressive cyber-attack on Rahmati—led by CYBERCOM. Now, with DoD networks under attack, he was still on the defensive.

  *

  At 5:30 p.m., President Goodson addressed the nation.

  “It’s important to know that Federal agencies are working with Texas electric power authorities to find the root cause of the problem. As you know, it’s nearly summer in Texas. The entire South is experiencing a heat wave. Before the power went out, I checked the temperature at my ranch. It was 105 degrees.

  “I’ve been on the phone with the Texas Governor. He’s deploying the Texas National Guard to all major cities. I’m ordering federal troops to help as well. All Texans must know that the full resources of the United States are behind you. You’re in our thoughts and prayers. Together, hand-in-hand, we’ll get through these challenges. It’s also important for everyone to remain calm and abide by the law. Look after your neighbors. Help is on the way. These are the times in which Americans always rise to the occasion.

  “I’m aware of initial reports stating that the power blackout is a result of cyber-attack. About that, let me say two things: first, it’s too early to determine the cause of the Texas Blackout. Second, in the course of our investigation, if we determine that this was an act of cyberwarfare, know this: We’ll hold the nation or nations that housed the attackers—as the attackers. Our response will be proportional; an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

  *

  Lisa Shields was sound asleep. The General had not made it home for the evening. Mrs. Shields was startled out of her slumber. The volume on her TV was blaring and tuned to an Islamic station. She realized that she was sweating profusely.

  Lisa walked to the e-thermostat. The air conditioner was turned off. That’s weird. I turned it down before I went to bed. We’re in a heatwave for goodness sake. She looked more closely at the digital face of the thermostat. The status window read, ‘Ask your husband about SAMANTHA.’

  Chapter 41 – The Offer

  2:00 a.m. (EDT), Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - Washington, DC

  Conference Room, White House Situation Room, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.

  Less than 12 hours after the Texas power grid went dark, POTUS was meeting with his advisors. General Shields was dead tired. Typically, he would have attended via secure video teleconference. But there were no more secure communications. So he occupied the black leather chair—two seats down from the President.

  POTUS was at the head of the polished, cherry conference table. Less important advisors assembled behind POTUS, in less comfortable chairs that lined the walls of the rectangular conference room. The Whitehouse Sit Room adhered to TOP SECRET SCIF standards.

  The Secretary of DHS was briefing President Goodson. “This is definitely a cyber-attack on the SCADA systems of the Texas Interconnection. It’s very sophisticated. The generators in the power plants can’t spin fast enough to produce electricity for the grid. The good news is that they’re only being slowed down. If they’re sped up, all of them could be destroyed—just like in Aurora. If that happened, power could be offline in Texas, for months.

  “New generators are difficult to acquire in that quantity. A nation state, or hackers heavily financed by a nation state, is responsible for these attacks.” The Idaho National Laboratory ran the Aurora Generator Test. The test demonstrated cybersecurity vulnerabilities of generators on the electric grid.

  “Well, which nation state is it?” asked the exasperated President. “Is it Rahmati?”

  “As of yet, we’ve been unable to attribute the primary source of the attacks,” said the DHS leader. “Zombie machines, from all over the world, are the coordinating the assault. After we block one, another is spun up to take its place. At this time, I can’t tell you who is behind this act of cyberwarfare. It’s the same story with the Port of Houston and the domestic energy rigs. We can’t definitively attribute the attack. We don’t know who’s responsible; we only have suspicions.”

  POTUS sighed in disbelief and cursed under his breath. “What can NSA and CYBERCOM tell us, General Shields?”

  “Mr. President, I can report that our military networks in the Middle East are also under an advanced persistent attack. This has led to periodic interruptions in comms with in-theater naval assets, including naval aircraft. Our entire drone fleet operating over Persia and Iraq has been commandeered.”

  “As you know, an hour ago we issued a CRITIC that the GPS system was down. We’ve not been able to identify the party responsible for the attack. The GPS shutdown is going to have very broad implications, not only for the military, but also for civilians.”

  An aide rushed to the President’s side and whispered in his ear. Goodson excused himself abruptly. “Muhammad Rahmati is on the line for me.”

  *

  “Mr. President, I know that this is a difficult time for you.”

  “Prime Minister Rahmati, if you are behind these attacks, rest assured that I will respond in kind. And the nuclear option is on the table.”

  “Mr. President, I can understand your reaction. I’m calling in an attempt to de-escalate this situation. I can tell you that these attacks are coming from all over the world. Nuking Baghdad, or Babylon, or Tehran will not stop them. Unleashing a massive cyber-attack on Iraq or Persia will not stop them.

  “In fact, I believe an overreaction of that nature will merely accelerate the attacks. My intelligence sources tell me that the Western Interconnect and Eastern Interconnect will be shut down, in addition to the Texas power grid. The generators will be destroyed, not just disabled. From what I’ve heard, something like Stuxnet will happen to all US power generators. Chatter we’ve intercepted implies that your high-voltage power lines will also fry.

  “I’m sure you realize the ramifications of the destruction of the generators and power lines. It could be years before your nation is fully powered again. Let that sink in. Years.

  “Now, I’m confident that you can turn Iraq into glass with your nukes. Or, you could destroy our electricity and energy infrastructure. You could send us back to the Stone Age, if you wanted. But, I’m also certain that your nation is the most connected country in the world. America has much more to lose than we do.

  “I can also tell you this. Persia’s first response to a US nuclear attack on their homeland or Iraq, would be to launch ballistic missiles aimed at Tel Aviv and Haifa. I would caution you as to the nature of those rockets. I’m sure UN inspectors haven’t missed anything, but it’s possible those weapons are nuclear.”

  “Why are you calling Rahmati?” snarled POTUS. “And where are my citizens you’ve detained?”

  “As I said Mr. President, I’m calling to rectify this situation. Think of me as your advocate. I know who to persuade to restore power to your Texas grid immediately. Your Persian Gulf military comms and your GPS system will come back online. Your fracking capability has suffered damage and will need repair.

  “The contingent I represent will offer reparations for this damage. We’ll also start a fund for anyone that’s endured extreme harm. I’m primarily thinking about the sick and elderly suffering in the heat in Texas. Also,
we’ll return your captured CIA operatives and drones.”

  “Who is your side?” asked POTUS.

  “Mr. President, you look at the polls in the Middle East. My allies consist of the majority of Arabs and Persians. Even Muslims in Turkey, Pakistan, the Caucasus, and Indonesia support me. More concretely, you’re well aware that Iraq’s allies are Persia, Russia, and China.”

  “What do you want from me in return?” asked POTUS.

  “What we’re asking for is simple. Leave Iraq and Persia alone. Keep out of our sphere of influence. You can call it the Rahmati Doctrine. Just like there are no Iraqi forces in Mexico or Panama, keep your troops out of the Middle East.

  “We have no problem with your forces in Afghanistan. But, we are big boys. We can now take care of ourselves. More specifically, I want a commitment from you to stay out of Saudi Arabia. Remove the troops that you’ve sent and don’t deploy anymore. Let the chips fall where they may.

  “Stay away from Turkey. Don’t try to rollback today’s actions by Russia and China. If Bahrain falls under our sphere of influence, you have my word that we’ll honor your current lease terms for the 5th Fleet’s base. You’ll be able to continue to project power in the region and protect your interests.”

  “Muhammad, Turkey is a NATO member and Saudi Arabia is a major ally of the United States, I—”

  Rahmati interrupted POTUS. “When America signed the nuclear deal with Persia, you signaled to the world that your strategy in the Middle East would be more balanced. In this age of democracy, freedom, and openness; you no longer have to support kings and dictators.

  “I can’t fathom the American support of a kingdom that suppresses its own people and funds Wahhabi Jihadism. 80% of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi citizens. Portions of your own 9/11 Commission’s report had to be classified to hide their involvement. Some ally! Well, I take that back. I’ve seen the money trail. I guess I understand it completely. Mr. President, as I recall, you’ve been a hefty beneficiary of Saudi money. As far as Turkey, NATO won’t want any part of a Kurdish-Turkish civil war. It’s not like Russian tanks are rolling through Ankara.”

  “And if I reject your offer, and launch cyber and military attacks on you, Iran, Russia, and China?”

  “I’m not going to enumerate everything that will happen. But let me start with this: You have until 7:00 a.m. this morning to accept my offer. Should you refuse, a series of escalations will occur.

  “First, the generators in the Texas grid will be destroyed. Texas will be dark for a long time; including the Port of Houston. By the way, oil just hit $200 a barrel. That should send your price of gasoline to nearly seven dollars a gallon, in the days ahead.

  “Next, all your power generators in the Eastern Interconnection will be destroyed. New York, New Jersey, and the entire East Coast will make a one-way trip back to the 1890s. I hope America has adequate stocks of kerosene lamps. Your exchanges will be unable to open. I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to see your stock market futures, but they just hit the lows of the evening. All your major indices are down another 10%. Mr. President, your markets are in free-fall.

  “After that, your unclassified military Internet—the NIPRNet, will be taken offline. Then, SIPRNet and JWICS will go down. Thomas, your adversary is using the Internet as the highly resilient network DARPA first intended, when they created ARPANET. You could vaporize Iraq, Persia, China, and Russia and still not stop the attacks.

  “Also, I’m told that much more embarrassing information will be released. Did you know that your married Defense Secretary is involved in a homosexual affair with one of his staff? Your Chairman of the Federal Reserve is amassing a small fortune in an offshore account. He’s discovered that it’s very profitable to tip off the Big Wall Street banks before the release of the Fed’s rate decision, the FOMC Meeting Minutes, and the monthly employment report. That’s just some of the juicy details. Tom, I’m told that a portion of the disclosures pertain to you.

  “Now, we can both work in secret to make this go away. I’m set to release more information on corruption within the Saudi government. In the face of this evidence, you can say that you don’t want to be on the wrong side of history in supporting a corrupt regime. It’s the same thing the US did with Mubarak in Egypt and Qaddafi in Libya—cut and run.

  “I’ll say we had nothing to do with Texas. I’ll recall some diplomats and tell the world that was our response to your cyber-attacks. All of this can disappear. We can sweep everything under the rug. We can both go back to improving our countries’ tomorrows.”

  *

  A visibly shaken President returned to the Sit Room. Shields had never seen him in such a state of angst.

  He detailed Rahmati’s demands. He told his advisors that Rahmati claimed to have damaging personal information on many in the room. From the corner of his eye, POTUS looked at the SECDEF and saw his aide wince. Shields’ heart raced at the thought of his own personal jeopardy.

  “Can we identify and take out the hackers in the next four hours?” asked President Goodson. “I’m apt to believe that Rahmati is not bluffing.”

  The CJCS answered, “We could definitely take out sites in Iraq, Persia, China, and Russia with nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. Of course, there would be retaliatory strikes.”

  “We could drop non-nuclear, electromagnetic pulse bombs. They could fry all the computers and the electric grid. But, I don’t think we could hit all the sites in four hours.”

  “And, we don’t know if that would stop the cyber-attacks,” said General Shields. “Rahmati is using a massively distributed botnet to conduct these attacks. We don’t know where to send a nuke or an EMP bomb. It’s clear that his side has been preparing the cyber-battlefield for a long time. They’ve probably maintained trapdoors and Trojan horses in our critical infrastructure for years.”

  “Alright,” said the SECDEF, who was technically General Shields’ boss. “What can you do from a cyberwar perspective, General Shields?”

  “We can immediately take down the grids in Persia and Iraq. We can do the same in Russia and China, although it will take a little longer.”

  POTUS asked, “Are we sure that if we turned out the lights in those places, the attacks would stop?”

  “No sir,” responded Shields. “The botnet is utilizing corrupted computers from all over the world, including the UK, Japan, Germany, and Australia. If we had more than four hours, we could probably find better answers. We do know that the hackers are very sophisticated, and they cover their tracks exceptionally well. Rahmati may possess a distributed AI capability to continue the cyber-attacks, in the event of annihilation.

  “We could attempt to shut down the Internet, but this would have drastic consequences for US commerce and confidence. And Iraq, Persia, China, and Russia have taken steps to create their own Internet backbones.

  “Most importantly, Mr. President, we don’t know how they’ve compromised our encrypted military comms. It’s one thing to hack the Internet. It’s quite another to hack the GPS system and military infrastructure. They commandeered drones and degraded naval comms. The 5th Fleet is using signal flags to communicate. Even if you launched nukes, it’s possible hackers could redirect them. They completely own us right now.”

  POTUS processed the situation in light of the deadline. He thought about the ramifications of action and compromise. “If I agree to his conditions, then this will become his pattern—every time he wants something. However, a negotiated settlement would allow us to buy us some time.”

  After further deliberation, POTUS said, “This isn’t Munich; this is General MacArthur retreating from the Philippines to regroup. We’ll be back. We’ve got to ascertain how he’s accomplishing all this mayhem. Then, we can more adequately counter it. It’s clear to me that we’re woefully unprepared for cyberwar. And we’ve been resting on our laurels in quantum computing.”

  The President called Rahmati at 6:00 a.m. He agreed to stand-down American troop deployments to Saudi A
rabia and to ignore the Kurdish-Turkish conflict. He negotiated with Rahmati to buy oil at a discount. Rahmati promised to keep everything quiet and reiterated his concessions, including the release of the CIA agents and drones.

  By mid-morning on June 1, 2021, the Texas Interconnection grid was back operational. The Federal Reserve announced the results of an emergency meeting. They would reduce interest rates by 50 basis points, and engage in a new round quantitative easing.

  While the stock market soared on the announcement, so did the price of gold and oil. The US dollar tanked. Commodities were priced in US dollars. When the value of the US dollar decreased, commodities; like gold, oil, and copper—skyrocketed.