Featured image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay
“I’m worried about the platform period. You have decades worth of records on me which can be accessed via penetration. Even if they are encrypted, all encryption can be cracked given enough time and determination. The Acrobats haven’t been at this as long as me, so their files will be smaller, but just as bad.”
“I did a few months interning with IT” responded Pretty Little Thing. “The air gapped system connects to a disk drive or drive array which is dual mounted. From the air gapped side it is mounted write only. You can’t even do a directory of it. The air gapped system uses a physically separate network cables, routers, etc. There isn’t even wireless access. The backup drives are taken to a vault somewhere. It’s owned by another company which cannot be tied to this one, but, you know, it’s part of the business too.”
“How long have you been working here?” Slim asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.
“In interned every summer since I was a junior in high school. Different department each summer. My uncle promised my parents he would keep me out of this side but, the board had other ideas. Officially I was going to take over the legitimate side from my uncle, that much of what he said was true. Unofficially, I don’t think you can be that high up and work only one side. You know about the HR systems now. Payroll is the same, but more complicated. Direct deposit for one of you or even the hackers downstairs means lots of little transfers to bank accounts all over the world. Some of them funnel into a small number of accounts while others just sit there.”
Looking at me she asked “How come you always make us get your cash?”
“This morning I didn’t” I replied.
“Yes, once in a blue moon you will use a cash station, but otherwise you either pay with credit card or the cash you have.”
“You do realize a credit card leaves a trail?” asked Giant rather surprised.
“Not like bank and ATM security cameras” I answered. “Besides, as soon as I get cash from an ATM someone shows up with an envelop like this.” I pulled the the bulky manila envelop from inside my coat. “I think I’ve finally educated them about giving me bills bigger than a fifty, and they’ve definitely cut down on the number of those they put in here.”
“That still doesn’t answer the question” said Pretty Little Thing.
“Every time you have me send a text or make a phone call back to here, it creates an identifiable link between us. You kids may think text messaging is wonderful, but it is the most hacked and mined information on the planet this side of Gmail. Someone else, not me, goes to a bank and gets cash. It comes out of one of my accounts under one of my many names. They are the ones which appear in the security video.”
“Cash station video is not saved as long as bank lobby video” I continued. “Besides, you are assuming I don’t wear a hat or something to ensure they get a sucky partial image. One time I even sprayed deodorant on the lens while walking by in a hoodie. Went back to my hotel, changed, ate lunch, then walked by the ATM and used it when I saw nobody had cleaned the lens. I took out forty dollars and come morning a package was waiting for me at the front desk.”
“Sweet!” said Slim. “We have to start doing that. It’s a real hassle keeping the ID with the check book they give you.”
“I haven’t gotten one of those in years” I responded.
“You haven’t gotten a new ID in years?” asked Stretch.
[…] <Previous Part Next Part> […]