Overview

by Paul Craig

This is my story. My name is Dex. I m a 22-year-old systems administrator. I live in an upper-class apartment in New York s CBD. My apartment is lined with computers, coffee cups, and cables. I work eight hours a day for a small online e-commerce site, mostly managing servers and security.

In my free time, I run my own contract development company, writing mostly C/C++. I also moonlight as a Rent a Thief for a black market media distribution company based out of Taiwan. On demand, I hack into companies and steal whatever is required. Usually, it s a new, highly anticipated game or a large, expensive CAD (computer-aided design) software package. Once, I was even asked to steal software used to design a nuclear power plant. I don t ask questions. This thievery doesn t stop at software, though. There is big money in commercial plans, financial data, and customer contact lists, as well

I do this because I enjoy the rush and the feeling of outsmarting someone else. I never tell anyone else about a hack, and to date, only a few companies I ve hit even suspected that they had been hacked. I am not a part of the typical hacker community, and I always work alone.

The Tip-off

My eyes slowly open to the shrill sound of my phone and the blinking LED in my dimly lit room. I answer the phone.

Hmm Hello?

Yo, Dex, it s Silver Surfer. Look, I got a title I need...