"Of course we haven't fully implemented security everywhere yet, but it is an ongoing concern. According to NSA, the rash of recent computer events are a combination of anomalies and the press blowing it all out of proportion." "Do you believe Henry," the President asked, "that if there's smoke, a reasonable man will assume that there is a fire nearby?" Henry nodded obligingly. "And what would you think if there were a hundred plumes of smoke rising?" Henry felt stumped. "Jacobs assured me that he had everything under control and . . ." "As I recall Henry," the President interrupted, "you told me that a couple of months ago when the papers found out about the EMP-T bombs. Do you recall, Henry?" "Yessir," he answered meekly. "Then what happened?" "We have to rely on available information, and as far as we know, as far as we're being told, these are very minor events that have been sensationalized by the media." "It says here," the President again donned his glasses, "Defense Contractors Live with Hackers; Stealth Program Uncovered in Defense Department Computers; Social Security Computers At Risk. Are those minor events?" He pointed the question at not only Henry. "There was no significant loss of information," Coletree rapidly said. "We sewed up the holes before we were severely compro- mised." "Wonderful," the President said sarcastically. "And what ever happened to that bank in Atlanta? Hiring Those kids?" "If I may, sir?" Phil Musgrave filled the silence. "That was a private concern, and we had no place to interfere - as is true in most of these cases. We can only react if government property is affected." "What is being done about it? Now I mean." "We have activated CERT and ECCO, independent computer crime units to study the problem further." As usual, Phil was impecca- bly informed. "Last years the Secret Service and FBI arrested over 70 people accused of computer crimes. The state of Pennsyl- vania over 500, California 300. Remember, sir, computer crimes are generally the states' problems." "I'm wondering if it shouldn't be our problem, too," the Presi- dent pondered. "There are steps in that direction, as well. Next week the Senate hearings on Privacy and Technology Containment begin, and as I understand it, they will be focusing on exactly this issue." "Who's running the show?" the President asked with interest. "Ah," Phil said ripping through his notes, "Rickfield, sir." "That bigot? Christ. I guess it could be worse. We could have ended up with Homer Simpson." The easing of tension worked to the President's advantage, for a brief moment. "I want the whole picture, the good and the bad, laid out for me." He scanned his private appointment book. "Two weeks. Is that long enough to find out why I'm always the last to know?" * * * * * Wednesday, December 30 New York