Part 38 (1/2)
”The Aria had all of its requisitions for the last year erased from the computer” Bob chuckled as he continued ”Says here that they have had to pool the guys' o to Winn Dixie to buy toilet paper and McDonald's has offered a special GI discount until the systeets back up”
”Ty,” Bob said ” Some people on the hill have raised a stink since theiractivated”
”What the hell is ECCO?” Tyrone asked again
”ECCO stands for Eanization It's a couess, coain ”It was for the, and I quote, 'the panic that followed the first INTER- NET Wor open ”What panic?”
”The one that was kept under absolute wraps,” Bob said, slightly lowering his voice ”At first no one knehat the INTERNET event was about Who was behind it Why and hoas happen- ing I all at once It scared the shi+t out of the National Security Council, remember we and the Russians weren't quite friends then, and we thought that ht to the Kreency plans I heard about”
”I had no idea”
”You weren't supposed to,” Bob added ”Very few did At any rate, right afterward DARPA established CERT, the Coie Mellon, and DCA set up a Security Coordination Center at SRI International to investigate probleot into the act with Computer Incident Advisory Capability Then soht and it deserved at least a fourth redundant, overlapping and rival group to investigate on behalf of Law Enforceencies So, there we have ECCO”
”So what's the deal?” asked Tyrone ”What do I have to do?”
”The Director has asked ECCO to investigate the latest round of viruses and the infiltration of a dozen or so sensitive and classified computers” Bob watched for Ty's reaction, but saw none yet He wondered hoould take the news ”This time, ould like to be involved in the entire operation froht We'd like to start nailing some of the bastards on the Federal level Besides you have the legal background and we are treading on soine So what's our role?”
”Your role,” Bob emphasized 'your', ”will be to liaison with the other interested agencies”
”Who else is playing?” asked Tyrone with trepidation
”Uh, that is the one negative,” staot NSA, CIA, NIST, the NSC, the JCS and a bunch of others that don't h spot is the NSA/NIST connection Every- one else is there just to ”
”What's their problehed Bob ”The press hasn't been kind
They've been in such a pissingthat computer security work came to a virtual halt and I don't want to spoil the surprise, ah, you'll see,” he added chuckling
Tyrone sat back in the chair as he was cool enough now not to stick to it, closed his eyes and rotated his head to work out the kinks Bob never had gotten used to Tyrone's peculiar
Bob's intents were crystal clear, not that Tyrone minded He had no desire to move to DC; indeed he would have quit instead
He wanted to stay with the Bureau and the action but in his comfortable New York existence Otherwise, no But, if he could get Bob off his back by this one favor Sure itcoht be an interesting change in pace
”Yes, under a couple of condition” Tyrone was suddenly a little too agreeable and s after his earlier hesitancy
”Conditions? What conditions?” Bob's suspicion was clear
”One I do it my ith no, and I mean, absolutely no inter- ference” Duncan awaited a reply to his first deet to use who I want to use, inside or outside the Bureau”
”Outside? Outside? We can't let this outside The last thing in the world ant is publicity”