see what he could turn up on this targeted type of retro - style cybercrime. He submitted countless descriptions to the search engines and information security databases describing the crime style at hand: “phishing scam with forged printed note , ” “ hackers with handwriting , ” “ identit y theft + link website to handwritten note . ” None of his dozens of searches yielded anything useful or even similar to his situation.
T his had to be a targeted attack . There was too much manual effort involved for it to b e some faceless , bored , teen tech prodigy in his parents’ basement or one of the commonplace cybercrime gangs from Russia or Eastern Europe . This was a very cunning, very local criminal who had Steve in his sights .
“But why me? If this guy is that skilled and that jacked in to everything about me, why not take it to somebody with something more to offer?”
Should he call the police and report it? No. For one thing, technically no laws had been broken yet . In fact, the response letter hadn’t asked him for anything. A side from that, Steve had seen enough in the media to know that justice often got the shaft, thanks to a technicality or a procedural loophole that could cause the prosecution to lose an otherwise slam - dunk case . He wanted there to be no doubt as to the intentions of the person behind the messages before he involved the police .
It was nearly noon now . Steve decided to skip lunch, take care of a few of his more pressing networking issues and then head out early . At quarter after two, he called Randy’s office and the secretary put him right through to Randy .
“This is Randy,” said the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Hey Randy, it’s Steve,” said Steve.
“Steve! Glad you made it in,” said Randy . “How’re things?”
“Great, thanks,” said Steve. “Listen, Randy, I’ve set up the new virtual test server for the apps group and the upgrade for the mail server for the so uthside branch is done . The box is in the workroom , packed up and ready for delivery . I’ve already let the mailroom know .”
“That’s great Steve . How’re we doing on those quarterly virus numbers? I still haven’t got those yet. ”
Steve was chagrined. “ Oh, damn . I’m sorry , Randy. I forgot. I’ll get them to you soon, but I really need to leave now to take care of some personal matters.”
“Wow, y ou ta ke this ‘banker’s hours’ thing to heart , don’t you?” asked Randy .
Steve forced a half-laugh . “Yeah, I know . I appreciate your being so flexible lately. I have a lot of things still on my mind , but I think that soon I — ”
“Steve,” Randy interrupted . “ I’m kidding . Look , you have a solid record at this bank. Everybody makes mistakes. A little forgetfulness is understandable these days. Take the rest of the day off . J ust get them to me soon, okay?”
“ I will. Thanks . I appreciate it. ”
“Take care, man, ” said Randy.
Steve hung up the phone . He packed up his desk, shoving his laptop and the latest letter in his rucksack . His plan: go home, plug in and do some hacking of his own , if need be , in order to find the answers and the evidence he needed . He was no longer tired , and the caffeine had nothing to do with it.
Chapter 18
“ June, loo k,” said Martin, into the phone, “i t’s not like that.”
“Then what is it ‘like’ Martin ? ” June snapped from the other end.
“I miss her , June,” he replied. “I want to remember her the way she was.”
“Of course you miss her,” June, sighed, softening a little. “I miss her , too . But having some public memorial makes no sense. Why do we want to linger over it , and let other people talk and assume so much?”
“Let them assume,” he said . “She was our daughter ! We are entitled to remember her however we want.”
Trying hard
T his had to be a targeted attack . There was too much manual effort involved for it to b e some faceless , bored , teen tech prodigy in his parents’ basement or one of the commonplace cybercrime gangs from Russia or Eastern Europe . This was a very cunning, very local criminal who had Steve in his sights .
“But why me? If this guy is that skilled and that jacked in to everything about me, why not take it to somebody with something more to offer?”
Should he call the police and report it? No. For one thing, technically no laws had been broken yet . In fact, the response letter hadn’t asked him for anything. A side from that, Steve had seen enough in the media to know that justice often got the shaft, thanks to a technicality or a procedural loophole that could cause the prosecution to lose an otherwise slam - dunk case . He wanted there to be no doubt as to the intentions of the person behind the messages before he involved the police .
It was nearly noon now . Steve decided to skip lunch, take care of a few of his more pressing networking issues and then head out early . At quarter after two, he called Randy’s office and the secretary put him right through to Randy .
“This is Randy,” said the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Hey Randy, it’s Steve,” said Steve.
“Steve! Glad you made it in,” said Randy . “How’re things?”
“Great, thanks,” said Steve. “Listen, Randy, I’ve set up the new virtual test server for the apps group and the upgrade for the mail server for the so uthside branch is done . The box is in the workroom , packed up and ready for delivery . I’ve already let the mailroom know .”
“That’s great Steve . How’re we doing on those quarterly virus numbers? I still haven’t got those yet. ”
Steve was chagrined. “ Oh, damn . I’m sorry , Randy. I forgot. I’ll get them to you soon, but I really need to leave now to take care of some personal matters.”
“Wow, y ou ta ke this ‘banker’s hours’ thing to heart , don’t you?” asked Randy .
Steve forced a half-laugh . “Yeah, I know . I appreciate your being so flexible lately. I have a lot of things still on my mind , but I think that soon I — ”
“Steve,” Randy interrupted . “ I’m kidding . Look , you have a solid record at this bank. Everybody makes mistakes. A little forgetfulness is understandable these days. Take the rest of the day off . J ust get them to me soon, okay?”
“ I will. Thanks . I appreciate it. ”
“Take care, man, ” said Randy.
Steve hung up the phone . He packed up his desk, shoving his laptop and the latest letter in his rucksack . His plan: go home, plug in and do some hacking of his own , if need be , in order to find the answers and the evidence he needed . He was no longer tired , and the caffeine had nothing to do with it.
Chapter 18
“ June, loo k,” said Martin, into the phone, “i t’s not like that.”
“Then what is it ‘like’ Martin ? ” June snapped from the other end.
“I miss her , June,” he replied. “I want to remember her the way she was.”
“Of course you miss her,” June, sighed, softening a little. “I miss her , too . But having some public memorial makes no sense. Why do we want to linger over it , and let other people talk and assume so much?”
“Let them assume,” he said . “She was our daughter ! We are entitled to remember her however we want.”
Trying hard
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