Hacking a Terror Network: The Silent Threat of Covert Channels

I m telling you, dude, I ve never met a woman who knows so much about networking concepts, Jeremy said. She s amazing. I could totally use her help. I m dying here! Have you seen how well she does on those tests?
Well, no actually. Kyle replied. Those grades are supposed to be confidential. Satisfy my curiosity, though, would you? How did you happen to see her grades? Kyle smirked, satisfied that he had cornered his friend. Were you hacking the university computers?
She sits right next to me, Kyle. It s nearly impossible to miss the constant stream of high marks that pass across her desk when the professor hands back our papers, Jeremy responded. But I ve never run into her outside of class. I wonder if she d be willing to help me out with my networking project. And no, I didn t hack anything. You know I couldn t hack my way out of a cardboard box with a hatchet.
Kyle smirked again as he looked at his friend. Jeremy was a smart kid, but he could get distracted easily. Jeremy was right about one thing, though: Layla was very smart, but Kyle seldom noticed her brains because she was also a beautiful young woman. She had dark, deep eyes and long black hair, but smiled only occasionally and often seemed to be completely absorbed in her studies. Case in point, he glanced across the student lounge where she was seated. Alone, and completely immersed in a book.
Kyle guessed she...