Cyber Attack

by Bobby Akart

  Clinton laughed and spoke in his instantly recognizable croaky timbre voice that had coarsened with the passage of time. “Yes, it was more than adequate and she sends her thanks. She’s doing fine. Sheila worries about me. The boys call her the Energizer. Sometimes my ticker can’t take all of her energy, if you know what I mean.”

  No, not really. Time for the next reminder. “Bill, my old friend, if I remember correctly, your heart surgery in ’04 came after quite a few visits down to Epstein’s little island paradise. Perhaps it’s time to act your age, my old friend.” Morgan was making clever reference to the former President’s frequent visits to the private island of Jeffrey Epstein in the U.S. Virgin Islands, known for its lavish sex parties.

  Clinton laughed heartily. “I don’t know if there is a correlation between my infamous libido and heart health, but I’ll go out with a smile!” The men laughed, but Morgan knew Clinton’s libido would become the brunt of late night jokes during the fall campaign.

  “It has been twenty-five years since you first attended the conference,” said Morgan, starting to get down to business.

  “I remember when you first approached me about attending,” he replied. “I was exploring my options when I came to a Boston meeting with Teddy. We had lunch at the Union Oyster House. Three days later I met with David Rockefeller and a few months later everyone in America knew my name.”

  “We’ve done great things together over the years,” said Morgan. “Bill, I know you have limited time. I’ve spoken with Hillary about campaign finances.”

  Clinton interrupted. “She didn’t spend enough time here or in New Jersey. Mook took this state for granted and didn’t allocate the requisite financial resources either. Biden pulled out two close wins, which are irrelevant electorally, but make Hill look bad. Republicans pounced on the results as a sign of weakness in her electability.”

  “I have always been here to help you both,” said Morgan. “Let’s help each other this time.”

  “What do you have in mind, John?”

  “Abigail, as an independent, holds a twenty-point lead in one of the most left-leaning states in the country. She has excellent appeal to young people and the ten percent undecided voters who comprise the middle of the political spectrum. She also has a financial war chest that is unsurpassed, as you can imagine.”

  “I can’t disagree,” said Clinton. “Her reelection is assured.”

  Morgan decided to be blunt. “I want her on the ticket.”

  Clinton took a step back and looked out across the cityscape. Morgan caught him off guard. Good.

  “John, you know the VP slot isn’t up to me. Hillary will make the final decision during the convention next month with feedback from hundreds of political operatives. You know how that works. Of course, I will put in a good word for her.”

  Morgan expected this response. “I do know how that works,” replied Morgan with emphasis. “I elect Presidents every four years. You’ll do more than put in a good word, my old friend. Hillary will become President, but in name only. You and I both know this is your opportunity for a third term in office. There is unfinished business, am I right?”

  “Yes, there is. Look, John, I will get push back. The politicos will want to pick a Hispanic or a Black—someone to play to the base. Your daughter will be a tough sell because she caucuses with the Republicans and isn’t far enough left to suit some.”

  “Abigail will deliver the middle, Bill. You and I both know the GOP and the Democrats can each count on forty-seven to forty-eight percent of the vote. They simply have to turn out their base. But elections are won by convincing those four to five percent unaffiliated, sometimes apathetic voters to swing in your direction. Abigail’s libertarian leanings can deliver the college-age vote in a big way. Hillary doesn’t appeal to them at all. Abigail will also siphon off the libertarian support currently in Rand Paul’s camp.”

  “All good points.” Clinton turned and rested both hands on the rail. He looked deep in thought as he surveyed the Boston landscape.

  “I will solve the campaign’s money problems. Also, you know the financial and geopolitical issues important to us.” Morgan made his case without bringing up the nuclear option—Benghazi. Morgan had damning evidence of Hillary’s involvement in the entire Libyan embassy disaster, which, if released, would sink her chances of winning. He would save this for a later date, if necessary.

  “Okay, I will make it happen. We’ll need one hundred million donated to the Clinton Foundation, delivered immediately after the announcement in Philadelphia next month.”

  “Thank you, Bill. Take care.” Morgan turned and left, smiling.

  Chapter 29

  June 8, 2016

  White House Situation Room

  Washington, D.C.

  The White House Situation Room is a five-thousand-square-foot complex of rooms located on the ground floor of the West Wing. It is commonly referred to as The Woodshed.

  The Situation Room was born out of frustration on the part of President John Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs debacle in Cuba. President Kennedy felt betrayed by the conflicting advice and information coming in to him from the various agencies that comprised the nation’s defense departments. Kennedy ordered the bowling alley built during the Truman presidency removed and replaced with the Situation Room.

  Initially, before the age of electronics, President Kennedy required at least one Central Intelligence analyst remain in the Situation Room at all times. The analyst would work a twenty-hour shift and sleep on a cot during the night.

  Other Presidents, like Nixon and Ford, never used the Situation Room. In most cases, a visit from the President was a formal undertaking, happening only on rare occasions. President George H.W. Bush, a former CIA head, would frequently call and ask if he could stop by and say hello.

  When there had been a foreign policy failure, such as when the shoe bomber boarded a flight on Christmas Day in 2009, the Situation Room became a forum for a tongue-lashing of top-level intelligence and national security personnel.

  Katie had not experienced a tongue-lashing, nor had she seen the President in the Situation Room. But the President’s top two advisors, Susan Giles and Valerie Jarrett, were regulars and had the full authority of the President to berate and castigate at will. The tension in the room indicated this briefing would be one of those mornings.

  “The President has had enough!” barked Giles, looking over her reading glasses, piercing eyes blowing holes through the attendees skulls. “Not only are the cyber attacks of the Pentagon email system a serious matter of national security, they are goddamn embarrassing!”

  Katie glanced around the room and noticed she was the sole female in attendance besides Jarrett and Giles. The men were squirming. Katie was not. She had been sounding alarm bells about cyber terror for many weeks.

  “General Dempsey, how are you and the Joint Chiefs going to deal with this?” asked Giles.

  “The DoD, through the United States Strategic command, is working closely with USSTRATCOM in defending the global information grid,” replied General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “In conjunction with the United States Cyber Command, the DoD turns away hundreds of thousands of attacks on our governmental facilities a day. The cyber attacks are continuous and relentless.”

  “O’Shea!” snapped Jarrett. “You are the liaison between the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center and the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. Well, advise us.”

  Katie glanced at Giles, trying to remember her prior admonishment about the political aspects of her analysis. She wondered how Giles would react to this. I’m on the hot seat.

  Looking at General Dempsey, then back to Jarrett, Katie started, “We’re at war, and we are losing.” She allowed the words to permeate the twenty-first-century whisper walls—glad they couldn’t seep out into the corridors or upstairs to the Oval Office.

  “Tensions continue to escalate between our country, Russia and China.
Reports of cyber warfare are now commonplace in the media. Politically, a cyber war doesn’t get the attention of the American people like a militaristic war with tanks, guns and troops. But it is a war nonetheless.

  “The perception of which countries are most likely to be in the wrong certainly differs greatly depending on one’s geographic location. Our media reports portray China and Russia as the bad actors. However, reporting in these two eastern nations is significantly different. In fact, Putin stated the other day the United States has initiated a cyber war against both Russia and China. He used this as justification for his troop movements to the Arctic.” Katie had command of the room.

  “The Chinese are the bullies of cyberspace. They have an army of hackers covertly gathering intelligence on every nation. Of course, this is denied by the Chinese authorities as well as Chinese embassy spokespersons. It is clear that each of the three major world superpowers is ramping up its attempts to attack one another in cyberspace.”

  “Do you think we are underestimating the threat?” asked Jarrett.

  “Not internally, but we are in public,” replied Katie. “I believe cyber warfare is the beginning of a distinctive period in history that will define future conflicts between the three countries. We have substantial economic and geopolitical disagreements with Russia and China. There are increased territorial disputes, which could escalate to military conflict.

  “Cyber war has remained physically peaceful thus far, although the potential for future conflict between the three nations, and others, remains significant.”

  “What would you have us do? Should the President ask Congress for a declaration of—cyber war?” asked Giles. Katie again glanced at General Dempsey, a decorated military man nearly forty years her senior.

  “I suggest the DoD consider a variety of retaliatory measures in order to respond in kind. For political purposes, it is important for the President to continue playing the victim card. Let’s face it. The United States is the most powerful country in the world militarily and we have the most advanced cyber technologies. Let’s use our abilities to hit the bullies in the nose.”

  General Dempsey spoke up. “We have to be careful here. If we stubbornly retaliate with measures in cyber space, we will be known for being a cyber bully and will have to shoulder responsibility for escalating confrontation. There will be consequences.”

  “If we don’t retaliate, then we will lose the confidence of the American people,” replied Giles. “How do you suggest we proceed, O’Shea?”

  “I will leave the mechanics to the political advisors,” started Katie. She was reminding NSA Giles that she was cognizant of the ramifications of her suggestions. “The essential framework for our public response centers around five principles.

  “First, we need to raise awareness in our country that there is a new domain for warfare—cyberspace.

  “Second, the White House should continue its successful campaign of claiming victim status. Outwardly, stress to the American people we are strengthening our passive defenses such as firewalls and other protective measures. Let it be known our cyber-defense agencies will implement proactive defenses using available sensors to provide a rapid response to detect and stop a cyber attack on the nation’s computer networks. Within the confines of government confidentiality, but made available via strategic information leaks, establish military protocols and tactics to back trace, hunt down, and attack an enemy cyber-intruder.”

  “Let me interrupt right there,” said Dempsey. “Are you suggesting we use military force against hackers?”

  “We use drones to destroy ISIS targets,” replied Katie dryly. “Why not state all options are available? We have to accept cyber war as a real war. Just because the enemy comes at us in the cyber domain doesn’t mean we have to respond in the cyber domain. Our adversaries need to know that a military response is a part of our national defense strategy. The goal is to convince them not to engage in escalatory behavior.”

  She continued. General Dempsey was clearly not happy with her. “Third, let’s recruit the best and brightest computer minds throughout the country and dedicate them to this task. It is an urgent matter of national security to maintain and enhance our advantage in technological and artificial intelligence capabilities.

  “Fourth, we need to enlist the support of our allies. America is not the only country under attack. By establishing a collective defense against these rogue nations and bad actors, we can share information and react quickly to enhance our cyber warfare defense structure.”

  Now, for the real wake-up call.

  “Finally, our country needs to move quickly to protect its critical infrastructure. A cyber attack can destroy our power grid, leaving an energy-dependent nation in the dark. The attack itself may not kill anyone, but the aftermath will.”

  Katie paused to let this soak in. It took twenty years to convince Congress to protect the grid from the catastrophic effects of electromagnetic pulse weapons or coronal mass ejections. They still had not acted. How long will it take them to protect the power grid from a cyber attack?

  Katie instinctively knew it would be too late.

  Chapter 30

  June 8, 2016

  Quabbin Reservoir, Prescott Peninsula

  Former town of Prescott, Massachusetts

  “I could live here,” observed Susan Quinn as Donald maneuvered the SUV down the gravel road towards the center of Prescott Peninsula.

  “Someday we may have to, Suze,” replied Donald. “We really have our work cut out for us. Mr. Morgan expects this entire project to be complete by the end of summer.”

  “Well, I must say, he has provided us with an incredible canvas to create this work of art,” said J.J. from the backseat. “We’ve been going over the plans night and day now for a couple of weeks. I couldn’t imagine the beauty of the Quabbin Reservoir by staring at those maps.”

  “When I first came out here with Sarge and Steven a week ago, we realized this location was idyllic,” said Donald. “Of course, Steven just complained about how we were going to defend it. Despite being surrounded on three sides by water, the two-mile-wide entrance is a problem.”

  “Does Steven have a plan for that?” asked Susan.

  “He met with Brad last week and they have a solution,” replied Donald. “The solution will require manpower, which raises a new set of concerns—operational security. It will be incumbent on Steven and Brad to recruit like-minded military personnel who are one hundred percent on board with the intent and purpose of what we are doing here. They have to be careful who they approach.”

  “Makes sense,” said J.J., pointing towards two vehicles in a clearing ahead. “They’re already here.”

  Sarge, Steven and Brad were reviewing a large set of drawings on the hood of Sarge’s car. Steven was pointing from one side of the drawings to the other. Donald guessed the fence was the topic du jour.

  “Hey, guys,” said Susan through the window as Donald pulled the SUV alongside their friends. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “Susie Q, how are you?” asked Steven. “I see you let DQ drive this time.”

  “Don’t bust my balls from the git-go, Steven,” said Donald. His constant ribbing did get old sometimes.

  “Relax, old buddy. We’re taking another look at this damn two-mile opening we need to secure. Brad has it covered, though.”

  “Hey, Brad,” said Donald, shaking the military man’s hand firmly. “Susan baked you a couple of pies to take back to the boys.”

  “Thanks, Susan. Apple, I hope?” asked Brad. Susan felt the need to give Brad special attention because he was single, estranged from his family and surrounded by military guys. A touch of home cooking always warmed Brad’s heart.

  “You got it!” replied Susan. “You’ll need your strength to build that fence.” Susan and Donald moved closer to the plans as Sarge greeted J.J.

  “Hey, Doc, how’s Sabs?” asked Sarge. “It was really nice of her to watch the Quinn monsters while we spen
d the day out here.”

  “She actually looked forward to it,” replied J.J.

  Susan leaned back to give Sarge a little hell. “You know, Sarge, there will be a time when you’ll settle down and quit playing Indiana Jones,” interjected Susan. “Who knows, you might even get married and have your own monsters.”

  “That’s right, bro. Let their uncle Steven show them a thing or two.”

  “Marriage, children and the thought of an uncle Steven? Have I offended you guys in some way?”

  Brad forced the current contingent of the Loyal Nine to focus. “At ease, soldiers. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

  Brad continued. “You did a great job creating a private environment for us to work. The campaign event went well and I believe our construction efforts will go largely unnoticed.”

  “Thanks, Brad,” said Donald. “We had to create an illusion that was also a good cause. Curiosity seekers will not want to intrude on the lives of abused women and children. Further, the fast-track construction will hopefully fly under the radar of Brad’s friends at nearby Fort Devens and the prying eyes of the NSA’s satellites.”

  “The next step is creating a secured perimeter,” said Brad. “It will require some extra effort and expense, but we will stretch fencing across the entire northern border.” Brad drew a line with his finger stretching from the inlet to the west across the peninsula entrance to the east at the largest part of the reservoir.

  “The fence won’t stop a determined intruder,” added Steven. “To be effective, any barrier must be augmented with security force personnel and other means of protection with intent to comply with the five Ds.”

  “What are the five Ds?” asked Susan.

  “Preparation without security is meaningless,” replied Brad. “The five Ds include deter, deny, detect, delay and defend.”

  “I would also add a sixth D,” said Steven. “The sixth D is deceased if you don’t keep these factors in mind when creating your perimeter security.”