The Case of the Accidental Terrorist — An Internet of Things Detective Story: Part 4
As Harloe suspected, the detonator that was seized as evidence was very similar to one involved in a case from last year. In that case, a house was raided and items seized, but the suspects were not there at the time. No arrests have been made. The freelance bomb maker was still on the loose. His signature was personalized detonators that were triggered by close proximity to the target IP address. That IP address could be unique to an individual’s personally owned items, to a facility, or to a mobile IP address on a bus or a train, for example. The software code was similar enough that there was a high probability that it was written by the same individual.
Harloe would cross reference all of the IP addresses from both cases to see if there were any connections. The IP addresses from items seized from the vehicle today, including the vehicle components themselves, would be compared to all public and publicly accessible databases to see if any of the tagged things communicated with any other tagged device anywhere in the city. There was a good chance that a vehicle diagnostic computer shared data with a repair shop or recharging station somewhere as the vehicle passed within range. The vehicle may have also served as a node on the wireless mesh network servicing the area and been a relay for data that has nothing to do with it, other than recording the location of the “node” when it was slaved to the City’s network.
Harloe set up the search parameters, returned the evidence to the evidence technician and set out in search of a quick lunch before tracking down leads. His health monitor had transmitted one quick vibration on his wrist to get his attention. The readout told him that his blood sugar was getting low and that he was slightly dehydrated.
After lunch, he went to his vehicle and instructed it to follow his itinerary for the afternoon. His calendar was accessed and the first location was programmed into the vehicle’s navigation system. He arrived at Highland Corporation a few minutes later. The Head of Security and the Chief Information Security Officer were waiting in a conference room near the entrance lobby. He explained that their batch of assigned IP addresses appears to have been compromised and some of the addresses are suspected of being used by a known terrorist group. He asked if they had been experiencing a string of security breaches.
Mr. Baxter, the Chief Information Security Officer, said that they were not at liberty to discuss corporate security issues without a court order. Harloe shifted the conversation to another topic to keep the communication going. “Well, can you tell me how many members of your staff would have access to the unassigned IP addresses,” he asked? “Just myself and two of my managers,” Baxter said. “Jim Delano is here today. I just sent him a message asking him to join us. My other manager is on vacation.”
After several more minutes of questioning, Harloe asked if Mr. Delano had been detained or was he still on his way. Mr. Baxter checked his tablet and saw that Mr. Delano had just left the building and was on his way to the parking lot. His security access badge tracked his movements, or at least which doors he accessed, and the information was readily available to his supervisor (Mr. Baxter) and the Head of Security. Harloe asked that Mr. Delano’s image be sent to him and excused himself. He headed directly to his vehicle in visitor parking and ran a computer check on Mr. Delano to acquire his vehicle information.
The police records management system described Mr. Delano’s vehicle, provided the license plate information, and told him that the vehicle just exited the parking lot and is traveling north on Price St. He instructed his vehicle to engage self-driving mode and to plot an intercept course for Mr. Delano’s vehicle. Within a few blocks, Harloe was directly behind Mr. Delano. Delano looked in his rear view mirror, then deactivated self-driving mode and accelerated away rapidly.
Harloe’s vehicle activated its emergency lights and followed. When it was clear that Delano had no intention of stopping, Harloe released an aerial pursuit drone from his vehicle and slowed to a safe speed. The pursuit drone moved to within close proximity of Delano’s vehicle and transmitted directional electromagnetic pulses, intending to shut off the electronic systems and force the vehicle to stop. If that failed, it would attach itself to the vehicle and send the electromagnetic pulses through the vehicle utilizing the metal rod factory-installed in all newer vehicles for just that purpose.
Harloe and Delano knew that escape from a pursuit drone was highly unlikely. Usually, a fleeing citizen was simply buying time to destroy evidence or work on an alibi. A short distance later, Delano’s vehicle was slowing puling off the roadway under automated control. Delano stayed in his vehicle, knowing that there was no place to run.
To be continued . . .
