When Shadows Collide (An Arik Bar Nathan Novel Book 1)

by Nathan Ronen

  “What’s the logistic significance of what you’re saying?” Raya asked, trying to understand.

  “After years in which the United States did nothing to pursue Islamic terrorists, the time has come to bring the battleground to these people,” Tal Ronen, head of Caesarea Division, who had kept his silence so far, intervened. “We have to make them bleed until they start having doubts, until they’re lying awake at night wondering if they’re next in line. They perceive the West’s failure to act as weakness, which encourages these people to continue their plots to attack the West. Their belief that it’s safe to continue conducting their war of terror actually serves as an advantage to us, because it’s made them smug. My role as head of the Operations Division is to replace their sense of security with fear.”

  Arik summarized, “The only way to fight terrorist cells is to understand what motivates them. The moment you connect to their motivation, you can start anticipating their next moves.”

  Raya liked the idea of enhancing her reputation as Mossad director by being in charge when a hit on the modern “Bin Laden” took place, for which she would receive the credit. If, up to this point, she had felt that the Mossad’s old guard of professionals was treating her as an untried kid, a senior analyst in the Military Intelligence Directorate who had received a prestigious appointment only because of her personal relationship with the prime minister, an action of this sort would build up her reputation as a heavyweight.

  “Okay, I’m granting my initial authorization for cooperation with the Brits. Start preparing for the operation and I’ll authorize it in my work meeting with the prime minister on Sunday. I’m asking that you place your trust in the British, but that you also constantly verify the intel.”

  She knew the prime minister would be highly pleased with the idea. He always wanted a sufficient supply of battle stories in his arsenal, allowing him to be “Mr. Security” as the next elections approached.

  Therefore, she authorized the action in London and also agreed to Arik’s request to postpone his trip to France and to indefinitely postpone his deadline for submitting his assigned report on the reorganization of the Mossad.

  Arik was no longer listening to the last part of her instructions. He went out to prepare his Operations Administration. He was pleased when he left Raya’s office, heading straight for another meeting with the division heads within the Operations Administration. However, somewhere behind the smiles, Arik had a feeling that Raya was hiding some dark secret from him.

  He would take off for London at dawn, preceding the fighters taking part in the operation to trap the number one terrorist in the world: Iman al-Uzbeki.

  Chapter 44

  Digital Fortress, the Mossad’s Cyberwarfare Unit

  Floor B5 had always been considered a desirable floor at the Office. On this floor, located deep under the complex of modern offices, the seasons of the year were never apparent. Only a handful of employees out of those working at Mossad headquarters were allowed to go down to this floor, home to the Digital Fortress Unit, a highly classified team that had evolved into the Mossad’s Cyber Division over the span of five years.

  All employees entering the area were required to undergo a three-tiered security inspection. First, they had to pass their hand, in which a miniscule computer chip the size of half a grain of rice had been subcutaneously implanted, through an electronic scanner. Their pupils were then optically scanned, and their finger inserted into a fingerprint reader. All three security procedures were required in order to gain access to the classified site. Any deviation or error in data input would activate the alarm system, trapping the intruder between heavy steel doors.

  The people working at Digital Fortress were chosen according to different standards than those usually applied to government employees. They had a different code of conduct. They tended to dress in a scruffy, casual manner, with piercings in their nose or ear, long hair, and fashionable scruff on their faces. Everything was permitted, other than smoking. Another look would reveal an isolated group of exceptional ultra-Orthodox youths from Bnei Brak in an adjacent hall, referred to as “the Minyan,” after the quorum of ten traditionally required for Jewish prayers. Under special dispensation from the rabbis, they were allowed to serve their country by cracking codes and tracking down hackers, utilizing their brilliant minds, well trained in analyzing and debating the subtleties of the Torah. The only ones in uniform were the members of Talpiot,63 graduates of the best universities who, officially, were serving in IDF’s Unit 8200 but were ‘loaned’ to the Mossad.

  These were the Mossad’s cyber warriors. No bulging muscles, no knife between their teeth, exhibiting only the whiteness of their pale skin as a result of long hours spent in the basement conducting ambushes opposite the computer screen. They couldn’t be used to steal horses, as most of them suffered from hay fever, but smuggling a Trojan horse into the enemy’s stable was their area of expertise.

  During World War II, math prodigies had been recruited to serve at Bletchley Park, where Alan Touring and his friends cracked the secret of Enigma, the German encryption machine. The candidates for Digital Fortress were similarly chosen with extreme care by cyber experts who published a complex riddle of sorts in the press. An additional round of screening served to create a cohesive team. It included young hackers who had already gotten in trouble with the law, boys and girls on the autism spectrum, often with Asperger’s Syndrome or classified as savants. There were also computer freaks and loner geeks, obsessed with crossword puzzles, mathematical riddles, and video games. Management preferred virginal minds that had yet to be tainted by academia rather than certified software engineers.

  As they dealt with the most classified information, the Mossad’s entire Cyber Division worked under the highest standards of communication security, referred to in the NSA under the code word TEMPEST.64 This exacting standard was intended to prevent sensitive information from leaking by preventing both active and passive surveillance.

  Thirty-two-year-old Dr. Yuli Ebenstein was the founder and owner of an information security company named Cyber Shield, which had been discreetly purchased and poured into Digital Fortress under the condition that he continue to head it. His personal fortune was estimated at 50 million dollars.

  Yuli himself showed up for the meeting in green sneakers, red socks, fashionably ripped jeans, and a black t-shirt bearing the florescent green logo “Doof Festival 2008.” His long hair was pulled back with a rubber band. Few could have guessed he was also a popular DJ, who, along with some friends, ran an annual open-air international EDM music festival that attracted hundreds of young people from all over the world. His condition for working within a state framework was being granted the academic freedom to develop the site in accordance with the accepted standards for startup companies. He did it all in return for a salary of one shekel a month but took care to retain his pension rights as the head of a division within a public service agency.

  The team leaders convened in Dr. Ebenstein’s office for a preliminary meeting. They were preparing for the Operations Administration division heads’ meeting, which was scheduled to take place that afternoon in Arik Bar-Nathan’s office.

  Yuli scanned his division heads and opened the preparatory meeting. “We’ve found out that arch-terrorist Iman al-Uzbeki, who managed to evade Western intelligence forces following the major attack intended to kill the king of Morocco, has come to London and is planning a series of terrorist attacks.”

  A spark of challenge lit up the eyes of the attendees. They were seasoned hunters who liked challenges.

  “I imagine that members of British intelligence’s surveillance unit, GCHQ, will be passing on information to us,” the head of the Mossad’s cyber arm continued, “but in contrast to our tradition of sharing information and cooperation with the American NSA, the Brits have always been reserved with us, and we’ve often discovered that their Cyprus facility, Ayios Ni
kolaos, at the peak of Mount Olympus in the Troodos Mountains, is conducting surveillance on us, as well.”

  “What’s the meaning of the acronym GCHQ?” asked Lieutenant Nina Lev, from the Talpiot program.

  “It stands for Government Communications Headquarters, based in Britain and equivalent to the American NSA, with a global deployment. They’re part of the British intelligence apparatus, subordinate to the minister of foreign affairs,” Yuli explained. “By the way, their headquarters is nicknamed ‘the Doughnut,’ due to the round shape of the building. They’re located in Cheltenham.”

  “I actually want to start with the assumption that the Brits will be standoffish toward us as usual, and therefore we’ll need more Big Data analysis in order to classify information about the various ‘trees,’ which will help us form a picture of the forest,” said Lieutenant Yahli Lev, Nina’s twin brother.

  I like your sophistication and your original way of thinking, Yuli thought to himself, smiling without saying a word.

  Soon, a conversation ensued in the room. To those uninitiated into the world of cyberwarfare, it sounded like a frenetic jumble of words. Technical terms and examples of mysteries cracked in the past were tossed into the air. Captain Kitty Natalie, head of the Financial Intelligence Section and who had managed to track down Al Qaeda agents in Morocco, talked about avatars, ‘the Onion router,65’ hackers and trolls, Big Data, and algorithms.

  Yuli felt as if he was watching the tennis finals at Wimbledon, where the balls were flying through the air so swiftly that it was impossible to follow them.

  Computer networks and communication devices could be protected to a certain extent against attacks from the outside. However, if the attack came from within or by gaining access to the devices themselves, the target could not do much to protect itself. Through a few lines of code programmed by a cyber artist, any phone or laptop could be convinced to give up its owner’s most protected secrets. Machines were perfect spies that did not demand money or emotional maintenance in the form of love or recognition. For the most part, they were discarded when better devices or software came along.

  Yuli looked at his team members with a loving, paternal gaze, despite the fact that he was only ten years older than they were.

  “Obviously, we need to electronically track Iman al-Uzbeki in order to generate important points required to build an activity profile for the source of the attacks,” he said. “But we also need to take his environment into account and better understand the essence of his relationship with the agencies funding him, as well as his connection with Iran’s intelligence services wherever he’s active. The man switches identities as often as we change our socks. He’s a master of disguise, and mostly, he tries to act in a primitive manner within the digital world with a minimal amount of emanating signals that can be monitored, located, and tracked.”

  “That only increases the challenge we’re facing,” said Jónás, a blond Hungarian. “But I think we should locate our tactical HQ close to the center of action since we’re a bit out of it over here.”

  “I’m not sure,” Kitty challenged him. “I don’t think we need to relocate. It’s only here that we have all the tools we need.”

  Jónás, who was studying for a PhD in software and information system engineering at the Technion Institute of Technology, patiently explained, “First and foremost, it’s important to note the Big Data components, also known as the four Vs.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re about to lecture us on Big Data again,” Kitty grumbled.

  Jónás glanced in despair at his boss, Yuli, who signaled him to ignore the objections and proceed with his explanation. He met Kitty Natalie’s eyes and said emphatically, “I have no real doubt that you’re a big expert on SIGINT, COMINT, and FININT.66 I don’t really understand those topics at all. But I don’t believe you’re familiar with the broader dimension of data processing, with all due respect. I want to give you an idea of how massive Big Data is. The amount of data produced by humanity as a whole as a result of using the internet and social media comes is immense. Every minute, more than 16 million WhatsApp messages are sent, and more than 5,300,000 Google searches are carried out. Every minute, more than half a million new tweets are posted on Twitter, and we upload about a quarter million new photos to Facebook. Every minute, users throughout the world upload about 700 hours of new video footage, while other users watch about five million clips.”

  Kitty was stunned.

  “The four Vs of Big Data are volume, velocity, variety, and veracity. ‘Volume’ is the scope of incoming information and the Big Data algorithm’s ability to collect it,” Jónás continued to explain. “The second factor is ‘velocity,’ i.e., the speed at which you can process a surge of data and achieve results within a short time. The third component is ‘variety,’ indicating our ability to handle an immense amount of data arriving in different formats including structural data, digital data, and images. The fourth part is ‘veracity,’ grading the degree of reliability of the collected data. Unfortunately, our Spartacus system is a bit outdated, and this AI software needs to classify the data, establish context, and construct a possible picture. In short, it’s not simple.”

  “So, what do you propose we do?” Yuli asked.

  “We’re in the final stages of developing a more comprehensive system called ‘Big Head,’” the Hungarian replied. “These are super-computers containing application generators that can process information with immense speed. We’re working with graphics cards manufactured for the gaming world, and therefore, they’re capable of strong, rapid data processing. In fact, we’re developing algorithm families that will allow us to deal with ever-changing challenges. The future is presenting us with circumstances that require a creative and innovative approach. Think of them as scanning like a fine-tooth comb picking out lice and their tiny eggs from an infected scalp.”

  The metaphor of head lice Jónás had used caused a shiver to run through Nina, and she began to unconsciously scratch her curly head.

  “Is the system already stable and operational?” Yahli asked.

  Jónás’s gaze and his enigmatic smile, with his deep dimples and soulful blue eyes, revealed the answer. Another prestigious Israel Prize would soon be bestowed upon the Mossad’s Digital Fortress Unit.

  “Boss, I have another suggestion for your meeting with Arik Bar-Nathan,” Nina Lev said.

  Yuli prompted her to speak.

  “I want a place in London far away from the embassy and the official representatives,” she suggested. “Our headquarters should be close to city center, but far enough away to prevent exposure. It’s best if the entire operational team is under one roof so that they can successfully utilize any intel we can bring in.”

  “Excellent idea,” Yuli concluded, feeling the vibrating alarm of the Apple smartwatch on his arm. He looked at the glowing screen next to him. The time had come to meet the rest of the Operations Administration in Arik Bar-Nathan’s office. He folded the yellow notebook in which he had scrawled down his team’s notes and suggestions and began to stride toward the elevator, which would take him up to the eighth floor.

  Within minutes, Arik Bar-Nathan began the preparatory meeting for the operation intended to capture arch-terrorist Iman al-Uzbeki in London. Yuli Ebenstein felt that this time, he would make a significant contribution to the operation.

  He had already instructed his division’s technical advance team to make the required preparations for establishing a cyber command post in London within a war room where special operations would be headquartered. They had a permanent equipment warehouse set up at the airport, packed within diplomatic mail pouches. Its contents would be loaded onto the leased cargo plane along with all representatives of the Technical Division.

  * * *

  63The Talpiot program is an elite military-academic program to nurture security and technologically oriented leadership w
ithin the Israeli defense system. Graduates pursue higher education while they serve in the army and use their expertise to further IDF research and development in technological leadership positions. Fewer than fifty students a year are accepted to the program.

  64TEMPEST (Telecommunications Electronics Materials Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions) is an NSA specification and NATO certification referring to spying on information systems through leaking emanations, including unintentional radio or electrical signals, sounds, and vibrations. It covers both methods to spy upon others and a means of shielding equipment against such spying.

  65“The Onion Router,” or TOR, is free software for routing encrypted, anonymous traffic between computers over the Internet through a network of junctions.

  66Signal Intelligence, Communications Intelligence, and Financial Intelligence.

  Chapter 45

  Tactical HQ at East End Apartments, Whitechapel, London

  Anyone expecting the Mossad’s safe house to be a lavishly furnished apartment like in the movies was apparently unfamiliar with Avshalom Rimon, the tough manager of the Mossad’s Financial Department. The actual apartment reeked of cheap practicality. It contained Ikea furniture, collapsible beds, plastic housewares, and a kitchen that included the bare minimum required for cooking. Safe houses were usually located in areas where there were many students or in refugee-populated areas so as not to attract attention to new faces coming and going.

  Arik Bar-Nathan and Tal Ronen were the first to arrive in London and were sitting with ‘Tarzan,’ the head of the Mossad’s London bureau, who had been eagerly waiting for them and had even given them a tour of the two adjacent family suites, which were rented for them at a residential hotel in East London. One suite would serve as a tactical HQ, while the other would serve as a residence and makeshift dining room.