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SEVENTEEN
The sun peeked over the mountains with the promise of a blue-sky kind of day, but that promise didn’t reach all the way into Alex’s troubled soul as he left Mackenzie at the Hanstech facility with her sister. Nora had met them at the entrance where two security guards stood. He was uneasy leaving her, but Nora assured him that Mackenzie would be safe. No visitors were allowed in the facility over the next two weeks, and everyone in the building was employed by Hanstech.
Though the power company claimed the cause of the malfunction had to do with equipment failure, Mackenzie had suspected a cyberattack, and her suspicion remained. His too. And he couldn’t wait for the moment he could come back and pick her up—whether two hours or ten, the day would feel long and arduous.
Before he started his vehicle, his cell rang. Keenan. He’d texted him last night after Mackenzie’s nightmare. Keenan definitely knew more than enough about drones, and probably cybercriminals as well, to fill a book. Diplomatic Security Services was considered a global leader when it came to international investigations. Alex was well informed in threat analysis, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism, but he didn’t feel like he understood their adversary in this situation. He wanted to know more. To understand. Getting in the head of Nebulous 2.0—and he had a strong gut feeling that was exactly who they were dealing with here—could help him strategize.
He answered his cell. “Knight here.”
“Alex. We’re becoming regular buddies. I don’t think you ever talk to me so much, even when you’re working.”
“Funny.”
“Think like a hacker.”
Alex rubbed his forehead. “That’s your answer to my question?”
“That’s my answer to the question you didn’t ask.”
“You got me. I’m confused.”
“You asked what I know about cybercriminals. Dude, that’s a terrifically vague question.”
“That’s fair. But why tell me to think like a hacker?”
“We’ll get to that. Why are you asking about cybercriminals, aka bad hackers? Black-hat hackers versus white-hat hackers? You know—all that spaghetti western terminology.”
“Spaghetti western?”
“Come on. The good guys wear white hats, and the bad guys wear black hats.”
Oh. “I got it.”
“Well, why are you asking?”
How much could Alex say without offering too much information? Mackenzie trusted him. She also knew that at some point, within thirty-six hours—tomorrow afternoon, actually—they would be sharing everything with a cybercrime division at a federal agency. First, though, he would call his SSA.
“Just tell me about the cybercriminals, hackers, as people in general.”
“Hmm. Key philosophies. Let’s see. Hacking is in the very nature of a hacker and also a culture. Take a kid who gets his kicks out of hacking into the local school records. First, he’s curious and gets a taste of what he can do. What he can change. He gets a taste of the power. And then he tries something bigger just to push the boundaries of what’s possible. How far he can reach. And that excites him. He’s all-powerful. No one can stop him. I’m getting chills myself. Maybe deep inside, I’m a hacker.”
“That’s comforting.”
“Indeed.”
“But really ... why do it?” Alex asked. “Why hack into a computer?”
“And there’s the question you didn’t ask. If you were to think like a hacker, then you would understand.” Keenan chuckled. “But in answer to that question—it depends. An ethical hacker also enjoys the game and beating the odds just like an unethical hacker. For either type of hacker, it’s addictive. One method happens to be legal and the other way is not. But an unethical hacker does it for mischief and yes, sometimes ... a grudge.”
“What about a cause or an ideology?”
“Hacktivism is a different beast. Two groups come to mind. WikiLeaks and Anonymous. Their goals are usually political in nature, and the attacks are used against governments or big corporations.”
Alex closed his eyes and processed the information.
“Does any of this answer your vague question or enable you to think like a hacker?”
What about a hacker who did it for his own cause and the money? “I’m not sure. What about violence?”
