Part 139 (2/2)

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 andto 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 rammed to fail He said, ”I personally headed up that portion of the engineering design tea a Trojan Chip were allthat if soe, that's what they would do homosoto didn't even blink at the cost Twelve million dollars”

When asked if he knehen 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 tily isolated electronic systein to fail in the next fewtypes 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 siates in every IC Banks and banks of nized that hardware viruses are the ultiround coinal Trojan Horse No e 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 knehom, but homosoto's firm handled all of that”

The Spook also said to beware of any electronic device using OSO labeled or OSO ic chips, the so called Glue of electronics, are sold every year In the electronics world they are considered 'di for a few pennies each However, in most elec- tronic systems, an inexpensive component failure is just asbad as an expensive co

The Spook continues: ”The idea was to build a small timebomb into VCR's, televisions and radios Not only coaine 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 ”

I asked the Spook how this was possible? How could he inflict such da 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 so 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 anonyree that the man known as the Spook has awakened this world to s Have we taken too much liberty without the concomitant responsibility? I know that I find I wish I could run parts ofin 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 dae is unavoidable”

Hardware viruses in addition to software viruses Is nothing sacred?

Sunday, January 24 Washi+ngton, DC

”Does he knohat 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 rated 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 bla”

”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 Toshi+ba, Mitsubishi+, Matsushi+taall 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 fro about? Mason gave us the article like you wanted, didn't he?”