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Back Point of Contact Save as PDF
Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY TOM CLANCY
  3. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
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  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

“I can’t do my forensic audit without my software. Bai has explained to me that I can’t download the encrypted security passcode onto my machine or have any other direct interface.”

“Why can’t you use our analytical software?”

“It isn’t as good as mine.”

Bai whispered something in Mandarin. Yong nodded. “Would it be possible to upload your software onto our machine?”

Paul shrugged. “Are you sure you want to do that? The whole point of not allowing alien machines to connect to your mainframe is to prevent malware from infecting your system. Call your IT person, but I bet they’d have a real problem with that.”

Yong nodded at Bai, who grabbed a desk phone and speed-dialed a number. Paul guessed it was the IT department. Bai and the party on the other end of the line chatted in Chinese for a bit. Bai hung up. “Mr. Brown is right. They don’t want to upload his software.”

“Even if they check it?” Yong asked.

“No, sir.”

“There is one other possibility,” Paul suggested. “If you can loan me one of your encrypted USB drives, I can download the data I need and transfer it to my machine. That way my machine is never in direct contact with your computer.”

“Why can’t you just use Bai’s?”

“I prefer one of my own.”

“Why?”

“It would be a violation of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board auditing protocols to allow a Dalfan employee—or a Marin Aerospace employee, for that matter—to have access to the data and records I’m examining. Surely you see how that would be an ethical violation?”

Yong rubbed his face, thinking. “Yes, I suppose it would be.” He turned to Bai. “Get him one of our drives—and wipe it clean. Then make sure he’s registered with it and the serial number is recorded.”

“Yes, sir. Will he have to turn it in each day before he leaves?”

“Yes, of course.” He turned to Paul. “Is that a problem?”

“No. I’ll BleachBit the drive clean each day, just to keep things . . . ethical.”

“You must also return the drive to us when you’re finally through with it. It’s proprietary, and we keep a strict accounting of each device.”

“No problem. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. It’s just that I have a job to do.”

“I understand. Hopefully this will be the last hurdle for you to jump in order for you to complete your assignment.”

Paul smiled. “That’s the plan.”

—

It was mostly bullcrap, of course.

Paul had to lie. It was his only choice. But he wasn’t happy about it.