Terminal Compromise - Winn Schwartau (fiction book recommendations TXT) 📗

Scott Mason

In conversations with the Spook, the man who claims to be the

technical genius behind the Homosoto Invasion, I have learned

that there are even more menacing types of computer viruses than

those commonly associated with infected software programs. They

are hardware viruses; viruses built right into the electronics.

The underground computer culture calls the elite designers of

hardware viruses Chippers. It should come as no surprise then

that Chipping was a practice exploited by Homosoto and his band

under the wizardry of the Spook.

Chippers are a very specialized group of what I would have once

called hackers, but whom now many refer to as terrorists. They

design and build integrated circuits, chips, the brains of toys

and computers, to purposefully malfunction. The chips are de-

signed to either simply stop working, cause intentional random or

persistent errors and even cause physical damage to other elec-

tronic circuits.

You ask, is all of this really possible? Yes, it is possible, it

is occurring right now, and there is good reason to suspect that

huge numbers of electronic VCR’s, cameras, microwaves, clock

radios and military systems are a disaster waiting to happen.

It takes a great many resources to build a chip – millions of

dollars in sophisticated test equipment, lasers, clean rooms,

electron beam microscopes and dozens of PhD’s in dozens of disci-

plines to run it all.

According to the Spook, OSO Industries built millions upon

millions of integrated circuits that are programmed to fail. He

said, “I personally headed up that portion of the engineering

design team. The techniques for building and disguising a

Trojan Chip were all mine. I originally suggested the idea in

jest, saying that if someone really wanted to cause damage,

that’s what they would do. Homosoto didn’t even blink at the

cost. Twelve million dollars.”

When asked if he knew when the chips would start failing he

responded, “I don’t know the exact dates because anyone could

easily add or change a date or event trigger. But I would guess

that based upon timing of the other parts of the plan, seemingly

isolated electronic systems will begin to fail in the next few

months. But, that’s only a guess.”

The most damaging types of Trojan Chips are those that already

have a lot of room for memory. The Spook described how mostly

static RAM, (Random Access Memory) chips and various ROM chips,

(Read Only Memory) such as UV-EPROM and EEPROM were used to house

the destructive instructions for later release in computer sys-

tems.

“It’s really simple. There are always thousands of unused gates

in every IC. Banks and banks of memory for the taking. Homosoto

was no slouch, and he recognized that hardware viruses are the

ultimate in underground computer warfare. Even better than the

original Trojan Horse. No messy software to worry about, and

extensive collateral damage to nearby electronic components.

Makes repairs terrifically expensive.”

Which chips are to be considered suspect? The Spook was clear.

“Any RAM or ROM chips with the OSO logo and a date code after

1/89 are potentially dangerous. They should be swapped out

immediately for new, uninfected components. Also, OSO sold their

chips, in die form, to other manufacturers to put their own names

on them. I wish I knew to whom, but Homosoto’s firm handled all

of that.”

The Spook also said to beware of any electronic device using OSO

labeled or OSO made LS logic chips. Hundreds of millions of the

LS logic chips, the so called Glue of electronics, are sold every

year. In the electronics world they are considered ‘dime-store’

parts, selling for a few pennies each. However, in most elec-

tronic systems, an inexpensive component failure is just as bad

as an expensive component failure. In either case, it stops

working.

The Spook continues: “The idea was to build a small timebomb

into VCR’s, televisions and radios. Not only computers, but

alarm systems, cash registers, video games, blowing up all at

once. At times it got very funny. Imagine dishwashers spitting up

gallons of suds in kitchens everywhere. The ovens will be cook-

ing pork tartar and toast a la burnt. What happens when Betty-

Jean doesn’t trust her appliances any more? The return line at

Sears will be a week long.”

I asked the Spook how this was possible? How could he inflict

such damage without anyone noticing? His answer is as indicting

as is his guilt. “No one checks. If the chip passes a few

simple tests, it’s put into a calculator or a clock or a tele-

phone or an airplane. No one expects the chip to be hiding

something destructive, so no one looks for it. Not even the

military check. They just expect their chips to work in the

frozen depths of space and survive a nuclear blast. They don’t

expect a virus to be lurking.”

No matter what one thinks of the nameless, faceless person who

hides behind the anonymity of these computerized confessions, one

has to agree that the man known as the Spook has awakened this

world to many of the dangers that unbridled technical proficiency

brings. Have we taken too much liberty without the concomitant

responsibility? I know that I find I wish I could run parts of

my life in fast forward. Sitting in a movie theater, I feel

myself tense as I realize I cannot speed up the slow parts. Has

the infinite flexibility we have given ourselves outpaced social

conscience?

Ironically, conversations with the Spook tended to be impersonal;

not machine-like, but devoid of concern for people. I asked him

if he cared.

“That was not the idea, as far as I know. In a way this was

electronic warfare, in the true sense of the word. Collateral

damage is unavoidable.”

Hardware viruses in addition to software viruses. Is nothing

sacred?

* Sunday, January 24 Washington, D.C.

“Does he know what he’s saying?” Henry Kennedy said doubtfully.

“I think so, and I also think it’s a brilliant way to put a huge

dent in the Japanese monopoly on integrated circuits.” Marvin

Jacobs had an office installed not two doors from Kennedy’s in

the subterranean mazes beneath the White House lawn.

“He can’t blame the Japanese for everything.”

“Don’t you see? He’s not? All he’s saying is that OSO did it,

and he’s letting the Japanese national guilt by association take

its course.” Jacobs seemed pleased. “Mason’s chippers will

cast a shadow of doubt on everything electronic made in Japan.

If it has OSO’s name on it, it’ll be taboo. Toshiba, Mitsubishi,

Matsushita . . .all the big Nippon names will be tarnished for

years.”

“And you actually want this to happen?” asked Henry.

“I didn’t say that,” Marvin said slithering away from a policy

opinion. “Hey, what are you complaining about? Mason gave us

the article like you wanted, didn’t he?”

“I told you there were other ways,” Kennedy shot back.

“Well, for your information, there’s a little more that he didn’t

tell us about,” said Jacobs haughtily.

“And how did you find out? Pray tell?”

Marvin grinned devilishly before answering. “CMR. Van Eck.

Whatever. We have Mason covered.”

“You’re using the same . . .”

“Which is exactly how we’re going to fight these bastards.”

“At the expense of privacy?”

“There is no clear cut legal status of electromagnetic emanations

from computers,” Marv said defensively. “Are they private? Are

they free to anyone with a receiver, like a radio or TV? No one

has tested the theory yet. And that’s not to say we’ve tried to

publicize it. The FCC ruled in 1990 that eavesdropping on cellu-

lar telephone calls was legal. By anyone, even the government.”

Marvin was giving a most questionable technical practice an aura

of respectability hidden behind the legal guise of freedom.

Kennedy was uncomfortable with the situation, but in this case,

Marv had the President’s ear.

“And screw privacy, right? All in the name of national security.”

Henry did not approve of Marvin’s tactics.

“It’s been done before and it’ll be done again,” Marvin said

fairly unconcerned with Kennedy’s opinions and whining. “Citing

National Security is a great antidote to political

inconvenience.”

“I don’t agree with you, not one iota!” blasted Kennedy. “This

is a democracy, and with that comes the good and the bad, and one

premise of a democracy is the right to privacy. That’s what

shredded Nixon. Phone taps, all the time, phone taps.”

“Henry, Henry,” begged Marv to his old time, but more liberal

minded friend. “This is legal.” Marvin’s almost wicked smile

was not contagious. “It’s not illegal either.”

Kennedy frown deeply. “I think you take the NSA’s charter as

national listening post to an extreme,” he said somberly.

“Henry, Are you going to fight me on this?” Marv asked finally.

“No,”