sophisticated espionage platform created by what they called the Equation Group. Due to timing between similarly designed exploits used by both groups and their use in programs has led to assumptions they are either the same group or working closely together.
Presently, the expectation is that any significant war between nations will start with a debilitating strike to upset all services within the target country. For example, China would release digital war packages which would reduce if not completely disrupt services such as electricity, water, gas and oil flow. The necessary command packages which run the plants have been easily entered and their command and control components can be remotely coordinated.
A foreign country in control would be able to do something as benign as shut down the facility. Or escalate to issuing commands which could be used to cause substantial damage to infrastructure. This would trigger devastation within the country and require that civilian efforts be focused internally.
This would minimize any assistance these companies might have been able to bring to bear to support an outwardly facing war effort. Once the populace is focused on their own issues, the expectation is that the war effort would lose any support. The expected result is that the government would be called upon to sue for peace.<<
“So every major power is doing this? How much did you do to deter the Chinese with your last effort?”
>>I’ve calculated the result to be less than seven percent of their existing infrastructure. My expectation is that they have already infiltrated an additional two percent to date.<<
“Show me all digitally compromised locations by severity.”
The three dimensional globe started filling in with dots. Reds through oranges, yellows and finally blues. She took a hand and swiped it on the glass, turning the 3D globe and looking around the virtual world. Except for Antarctica, there wasn’t a continent that wasn’t covered in oranges and reds.
“ Oh. My. God .”
CHAPTER FIVE
“ADAM, I want to make sure I understand what you are showing me. All of these dots represent computers that have already had their security breached, do I understand that correctly?”
>>YES.<<
“Alright, explain what has happened in terms so I can understand.”
>>Since we have been discussing the Chinese will it be acceptable to use China and the United States as examples?<<
Bethany Anne nodded her head habitually as she answered. “Yes, that works - Just say ‘U.S.’ though.”
>>Very well. China is preparing for the possibility of war with the U.S. With computers controlling so many vital functions, computer systems have become strategic targets. So foreign powers, in this example China, infiltrate key computer systems. Key systems include computers that electrical power companies use to control the power grids supplying their customers. The Chinese would target these computer systems and infiltrate them with a worm or latent virus. If war between the two countries appears inevitable, the Chinese would send a signal to that worm package causing it to become active. The probable result would be that the power grid of that electric company would cease to function. That would cause a complete blackout for that company’s customers. This is an example of just one facet of modern infrastructure. World powers target the computers of every infrastructure system they can infiltrate. Have I provided an adequate example?<<
“Yes, thank you. ADAM, do you have any idea what would happen if all of those worm packages were released at one time?”
>>Significant infrastructure and societal turmoil. Calculations project forty-two percent reduction in population within five years as food and fuel become scarce and societies fail to maintain cohesion.<<
She slapped the side of the pod in anger, “Son of a bitch! Those
Presently, the expectation is that any significant war between nations will start with a debilitating strike to upset all services within the target country. For example, China would release digital war packages which would reduce if not completely disrupt services such as electricity, water, gas and oil flow. The necessary command packages which run the plants have been easily entered and their command and control components can be remotely coordinated.
A foreign country in control would be able to do something as benign as shut down the facility. Or escalate to issuing commands which could be used to cause substantial damage to infrastructure. This would trigger devastation within the country and require that civilian efforts be focused internally.
This would minimize any assistance these companies might have been able to bring to bear to support an outwardly facing war effort. Once the populace is focused on their own issues, the expectation is that the war effort would lose any support. The expected result is that the government would be called upon to sue for peace.<<
“So every major power is doing this? How much did you do to deter the Chinese with your last effort?”
>>I’ve calculated the result to be less than seven percent of their existing infrastructure. My expectation is that they have already infiltrated an additional two percent to date.<<
“Show me all digitally compromised locations by severity.”
The three dimensional globe started filling in with dots. Reds through oranges, yellows and finally blues. She took a hand and swiped it on the glass, turning the 3D globe and looking around the virtual world. Except for Antarctica, there wasn’t a continent that wasn’t covered in oranges and reds.
“ Oh. My. God .”
CHAPTER FIVE
“ADAM, I want to make sure I understand what you are showing me. All of these dots represent computers that have already had their security breached, do I understand that correctly?”
>>YES.<<
“Alright, explain what has happened in terms so I can understand.”
>>Since we have been discussing the Chinese will it be acceptable to use China and the United States as examples?<<
Bethany Anne nodded her head habitually as she answered. “Yes, that works - Just say ‘U.S.’ though.”
>>Very well. China is preparing for the possibility of war with the U.S. With computers controlling so many vital functions, computer systems have become strategic targets. So foreign powers, in this example China, infiltrate key computer systems. Key systems include computers that electrical power companies use to control the power grids supplying their customers. The Chinese would target these computer systems and infiltrate them with a worm or latent virus. If war between the two countries appears inevitable, the Chinese would send a signal to that worm package causing it to become active. The probable result would be that the power grid of that electric company would cease to function. That would cause a complete blackout for that company’s customers. This is an example of just one facet of modern infrastructure. World powers target the computers of every infrastructure system they can infiltrate. Have I provided an adequate example?<<
“Yes, thank you. ADAM, do you have any idea what would happen if all of those worm packages were released at one time?”
>>Significant infrastructure and societal turmoil. Calculations project forty-two percent reduction in population within five years as food and fuel become scarce and societies fail to maintain cohesion.<<
She slapped the side of the pod in anger, “Son of a bitch! Those
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