Now, having reached a specified critical mass and implanted itself in all the essential processes, Tusk initiated the sequence for which it was designed. And like a digital kamikaze, it set about destroying itself.
LANGLEY, VIRGINIA
CIA HEADQUARTERS
CYBERTERRORISM–COMPUTER FORENSICS DEPARTMENT
4:19 P.M. EST
There had been no word from Turkey since the advisory that an arrest notice had been issued for Ahmed Hossein al-Rashid. Since Agnes Edinfield had had nothing to do with it, she wondered just who had. The only information she possessed for now was that it originated from the General Directorate of Security in Ankara. She’d asked her man in Ankara to learn how it had come about.
There was, as well, no word about Jeff Aiken or Daryl Hagen. She wondered if they’d succeeded. Or were they dead in a ditch somewhere in Turkey?
She was tired. She closed her eyes, wanting very much to go to sleep. Instead, she read the cable once again. China had been informed that the United States knew of the Stuxnet3 countermeasure and that there would be hell to pay if they attempted to give it to Iran again. All this had taken place through back channels, but in her experience these were usually the most effective.
In his office, Frank Renkin was again watching the Intel sat in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean. For some two weeks, one of its powerful sensors had been directed at the fuel enrichment plant in Natanz. This was the primary target for Tusk. From this angle there was nothing special about the place. Most of the facility was underground but what was above was a series of square and rectangular buildings roughly organized around a rotary motorway.
The Israeli time estimate for penetration and activation had been six to ten days. The clock was fast running out on that and the plant would reportedly soon be ready with enough fissionable uranium for a nuclear test. Activity at the test site remained frenzied and several prominent Iranian officials were on their way there for an inspection tour. Company interpretation was that they wanted to see the bomb go off.
Edinfield wandered into his office. “I’m leaving. Anything?”
Frank wondered how she knew. Well, you couldn’t keep something like this a secret for long from professional spooks. “There have been some tantalizing trickles of information from FEP that suggests penetration. The program is designed to make preparations and activate when a specific level of saturation has been achieved to produce maximum effect.”
“How’d you jump the air gap?”
Frank smiled. “Classified.” It was Jeff Aiken, he wanted to say but could not. He looked back at the screen. “I’ve been watching this thing for two weeks now with no sign.”
“Will you know from the screen?”
He smiled. “Oh, yes. I’ll know.”
“We think China’s going to back down on the countermeasure you were concerned about.”
Frank had reported his call from Jeff, confirming the mule had been stopped. “How’d you manage that?”
“With the events of the last few days we’ve got enough evidence that they’ve been helping the Iranians to go public. They don’t want that getting out, certainly not with the international condemnation and sanctions that would bring . . .”
“Think it will stop them for good?”
“For a while. What’s that?”
Frank looked back at the screen. “That’s it!” Suddenly he was no longer tired. “It worked! By God, it worked!”
In real time, with a very slight stop-action motion, Frank watched one explosion after another. In one building, the windows were blown out, followed by a large section of the roof. In two others, the roof came off at once. Then from the ground about the structures, enormous plumes of smoke and dust emerged, confirming explosions underground.
Frank sat transfixed as each of the enrichment facilities was destroyed. They’d be getting radiation readings soon but they weren’t really necessary. Tusk had already shown itself to be the most powerful Trojan Horse ever unleashed on an enemy.
“A virus did that?” Edinfield asked in awe.
“Yes.”
“This will change everything,” she said.
“For them and for us.”
59
ERZURUM, TURKEY
ATATURK UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
10:53 P.M. EET
How’re you doing, trooper?” Jeff asked.
Daryl was sitting upright in a hospital bed. “I’ll live. I’ve got a new scar or two, unfortunately.”
“Just as long as you’re okay.” After leaving Saliha’s body, he’d checked his cell phone again and there was a message from Daryl telling him she was in the hospital in Erzurum. She wanted him to come as soon as he could. On the way, he notified Frank of Saliha’s death, confirming he had stopped the countermeasure from reaching Iran, and given him the markers so someone could find her body.
“My wild-goose chase turned out to be more that I bargained for,” Daryl told him, as she related the story. “The power plant workers saved me. We should do something nice for them. And for Saliha’s family.”
“I’ll call Frank. Maybe he can pull some strings.”
She glanced toward the hallway. “I’m going to have to talk to the police about the airplane.” Daryl closed her eyes. “I’m really tired, Jeff. So very tired.”
“We’ll be home soon.”
Her eyes popped open. “What happened to Italy?”
INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION ONLY
SECRET
MEMORANDUM
Date:
July 3
From:
Rhonda MacMillan-Jones Deputy Director, Cyber Security National Security Agency
To:
Admiral Braxton L. R. Compton Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Pentagon
Re:
Confirmation
It is estimated that the success of Stuxnet3, Operation Tusk, has set back the Iranian uranium fuel enrichment program at least five years. A detailed report will follow. We have confirmed the executions of fifteen scientists involved in the nuclear weapons program. The hunt is on for more “traitors,” as they are known.
On a sober note, the April 9 blackout of the Yakima, Washington, power grid WAyk5-7863 now appears to have been the result of a targeted cyber-attack. We believe it originated from the PLA in China.
In follow-up to my previous communication the extraneous software embedded within the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command computer structure has been largely removed. I say “largely” because fresh malware of unknown origin has been located. We remain uncertain of the level of penetration of USPFC at this time.
You have on your desk the latest estimate of cyber penetration of the DOD.
You’ve asked for the status of certain individuals:
• Colonel Jai Feng, director of the PLA Cyber Warfare Center, vanished from sight, then was publicly executed last week for treason. He has been replaced by a director known for his close ties to the so-called Patriot Hackers.
• Mei Zedong, deputy first state counselor of the Communist Party, has been demoted and now serves as deputy director of a potash factory in Qinghai province.
• Henri Wille, director of security at UNOG, has retired, under pressure.
• The source of the Iranian nuclear information to the United Nations, Nader Rahmani, was one of the scientists executed following the destruction of Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz.
• Lloyd Walthrop of the UK Foreign Office has retired and is reportedly writing a book. The subject is unknown.
• Agnes Edinfield has been promoted and placed on the list to receive the Medal of Freedom when she retires.
• Frank Renkin, director of the Cyberterrorism–Computer Forensics Department, has likewise been promoted with expanded responsibilities. As an aside, he is the proud father of a baby girl the couple have named Daryl.
• Jeff Aiken and Daryl Haugen continue working from their home in Georgetown. Both declined offers to return to government service.
cc
:
CoS, POTUS
NSA, White House
INTERNAL DISTRIBUTION ONLY
SECRET
Trojan Horse Page 34