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Authors: David Lindsley
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what he did, so that we can prevent this happening again.’
‘Surely you know that already?’ Hilary Proctor asked.
‘Not quite all. We know a little, but there are some crucial gaps…. Let me explain.’
He took a long sip of his malt, settled back in the armchair. ‘It’s like this: the control systems were all supplied by an American company, Powerplant Dynamics, based in Denver, Colorado. It’s a very well-designed computer-control system, and in many ways it’s like lots of similar ones. They’re all built for safety and reliability. It’s a complex system, but it’s still very user-friendly. But … well, it’s just possible that the designers went a step too far.’
They both raised quizzical eyebrows at him.
‘You see, they included in its design a thing called “remotediagnostics”,’ Foster explained. ‘It allows engineers at the design headquarters to carry out checks on an operational system. It’s a bit like a doctor asking a patient to stick out his tongue and say “Aaah”, but from a long way away. They can run tests and see that everything’s working OK. In theory, they could even identify a fault before the people working at the plant knew there was anything wrong.’
‘What’s wrong with that?’ Cyrus Proctor asked.
‘Nothing. Nothing at all. At least, in principle. In fact it’s a very good idea, and it’s not even the first time it’s been done. The problem is that in this instance it relies on a link into the system from an ordinary telephone line.’
Understanding dawned in Proctor’s face. ‘And that’s the point where a hacker can get into the system.’
‘Exactly. But even then, there should have been no risk. Perhaps a hacker could get information on the operation of the system, but what use would that be to anybody other than to the designers?’
Hilary Proctor was quick off the mark. ‘Competitors?’ she asked.
Foster looked at her with new respect. She had spotted an important possibility. ‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘In theory, a competitor could get valuable information about the operation of the system. Information that could be exploited. However, the realities of the power market make it doubtful that such an ability could be of any real use, because the market’s too small and specialized. Nevertheless, the designers of the system were determined to take no risks at all, and so they built in a very sophisticated set of checks and safeguards.’
‘And still Luke got past them?’ the husband asked.
From his tone, Foster wondered if the lad’s father might not be in awe, even slightly proud, of his son’s prowess. ‘Yes, he got past them,’ he replied. ‘We reckon we know how he made the initial penetration. There’s no such thing as an unbreakable password system. All that cryptographers can do is to try and make it very time-consuming and difficult to crack the codes. But, well, you know the old tale about monkeys sitting at keyboards….’
‘Eventually they’ll write the Bible?’ Cyrus Procter offered.
‘Yes. Or the complete works of Shakespeare. But really, that’s not the point that interests us. Breaking into the system is one thing; making it malfunction is another. But what your son did was quite extraordinary. Somehow, he got the system to carry out the very complex and co-ordinated set of actions that’re needed in order to safely shut down an operating power station. That couldn’t happen by accident or coincidence. It had to be a carefully structured attack, and we simply don’t believe that a high-school pupil could possibly have enough knowledge of the intricate operations of a power station, in order to achieve a safe shutdown.’
The Proctors stared at him in stunned disbelief, so he went on, ‘And that’s why I need to talk to Luke. I’m a powerplant specialist and I want to ask him some questions that might just solve the mystery.’
‘OK,’ Cyrus Proctor said. ‘Now I understand.’ Then he
‘Surely you know that already?’ Hilary Proctor asked.
‘Not quite all. We know a little, but there are some crucial gaps…. Let me explain.’
He took a long sip of his malt, settled back in the armchair. ‘It’s like this: the control systems were all supplied by an American company, Powerplant Dynamics, based in Denver, Colorado. It’s a very well-designed computer-control system, and in many ways it’s like lots of similar ones. They’re all built for safety and reliability. It’s a complex system, but it’s still very user-friendly. But … well, it’s just possible that the designers went a step too far.’
They both raised quizzical eyebrows at him.
‘You see, they included in its design a thing called “remotediagnostics”,’ Foster explained. ‘It allows engineers at the design headquarters to carry out checks on an operational system. It’s a bit like a doctor asking a patient to stick out his tongue and say “Aaah”, but from a long way away. They can run tests and see that everything’s working OK. In theory, they could even identify a fault before the people working at the plant knew there was anything wrong.’
‘What’s wrong with that?’ Cyrus Proctor asked.
‘Nothing. Nothing at all. At least, in principle. In fact it’s a very good idea, and it’s not even the first time it’s been done. The problem is that in this instance it relies on a link into the system from an ordinary telephone line.’
Understanding dawned in Proctor’s face. ‘And that’s the point where a hacker can get into the system.’
‘Exactly. But even then, there should have been no risk. Perhaps a hacker could get information on the operation of the system, but what use would that be to anybody other than to the designers?’
Hilary Proctor was quick off the mark. ‘Competitors?’ she asked.
Foster looked at her with new respect. She had spotted an important possibility. ‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘In theory, a competitor could get valuable information about the operation of the system. Information that could be exploited. However, the realities of the power market make it doubtful that such an ability could be of any real use, because the market’s too small and specialized. Nevertheless, the designers of the system were determined to take no risks at all, and so they built in a very sophisticated set of checks and safeguards.’
‘And still Luke got past them?’ the husband asked.
From his tone, Foster wondered if the lad’s father might not be in awe, even slightly proud, of his son’s prowess. ‘Yes, he got past them,’ he replied. ‘We reckon we know how he made the initial penetration. There’s no such thing as an unbreakable password system. All that cryptographers can do is to try and make it very time-consuming and difficult to crack the codes. But, well, you know the old tale about monkeys sitting at keyboards….’
‘Eventually they’ll write the Bible?’ Cyrus Procter offered.
‘Yes. Or the complete works of Shakespeare. But really, that’s not the point that interests us. Breaking into the system is one thing; making it malfunction is another. But what your son did was quite extraordinary. Somehow, he got the system to carry out the very complex and co-ordinated set of actions that’re needed in order to safely shut down an operating power station. That couldn’t happen by accident or coincidence. It had to be a carefully structured attack, and we simply don’t believe that a high-school pupil could possibly have enough knowledge of the intricate operations of a power station, in order to achieve a safe shutdown.’
The Proctors stared at him in stunned disbelief, so he went on, ‘And that’s why I need to talk to Luke. I’m a powerplant specialist and I want to ask him some questions that might just solve the mystery.’
‘OK,’ Cyrus Proctor said. ‘Now I understand.’ Then he
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