Episode #1.2

This programme contains strong language

and scenes some viwers may find distressing

Where've you been?

Danny sent me home last night.

I'm sorry, I thought he told you.

OK, no problem.

So, as you know, we've been asked to recheck the BT malware.

I'd like you to do a strings.

What, just pull all the text? Yeah.

That's right, and go through it.

You know, passwords, hash types...

See if we missed anything.

Look, if this is my fault I'm really sorry... It's fine.

Someone needs to do the strings.

You're here on work experience.

Or, do you think you're too grand to do it?

No, of course not.

Good.

Well, off you go then.

Options for an Offensive Cyber response.

With respect, Prime Minister,

can I say that GCHQ opposes

the use of OC in a situation of this kind?

Why?

Because of the law of unintended consequences.

We close down part of Russia's electricity grid

but it turns out it also supplies a hospital.

They broadcast pictures of patients dying and we've got a...

Offensive Cyber is an attack on a country,

just like in any other domain of conflict,

and it's very, very dangerous, as, with respect,

we are proving here.

They take out part of our infrastructure.

We retaliate, attack one of their systems.

They hit us again, this time a more critical target.

We up the stakes another notch and, before you know it,

we're into a cycle of escalation and a catastrophic loss of life.

So, what do you suggest we do?

Expel more diplomats, like we did after Novichok?

Look how much good that did.

They're playground bullies.

We need to hit back in a language they understand.

If we do nothing, they'll just come back at us harder next time.

Options.

Well, we could turn off SWIFT to all their banks.

That might be quite appropriate, given the impact

of their attacks on our cash machines.

No.

OK. Well,

we could take control of Putin's car briefly.

Flash the lights,

accelerate and decelerate,

that kind of thing.

You can do that? Oh, yes.

We could also drop his plane 20,000 feet, mid-flight.

As a demonstration of power,

that might be quite effective,

though they would almost certainly target our leadership in response.

No.

What else?

I suppose we could fry all the lines into Glavset.

Into what?

Glavset.

It's the source of most of Russia's Twitter propaganda aimed at the UK.

We could shut it down.

How long would that take?

Er, well, we'd have to create the exploit first,

so seven, maybe eight days.

Eight days?

OK, do it.

I'm sorry, I've got to take a break.

Can't keep my eyes open.

OK.

Don't be long.

Can I...?

Sure, why not?

You OK?

Just got to wake myself up.

What is it?

It's an energy drink.

Ugh. It's sweet.

It's a quick hit. It'll keep you going.

So, who is he? The old man you keep staring at.

Did they show you Jive?

What?

It's kind of like an in-house Facebook.

Well, he writes a blog for it every week,

correcting the grammar in everyone else's posts.

What?

Yeah. No way.

I'm not shitting you. That's what he's doing right now.

Just sitting there, correcting our mistakes.

That is one sad fucker.

You're that student who found the second malware, right?

Congratulations.

Hmm, not really.

Oh. I thought that you were the golden girl.

Yeah, "were" is right.

Apparently finding that code just made everyone else look bad.

So now we've got to start again

and everyone in my department hates me.

Well, maybe they're just jealous.

SHE LAUGHS

No, really.

What have you found?

Some of this text is encrypted.

That's OK. They do that sometimes.

It's probably just a bit of random text

that's got pasted in by mistake.

But shouldn't we check, to be safe?

Get it decrypted?

Can't. Not without the key.

Surely GCHQ can crack encryption without a key.

Isn't that what we do here?

It's part of what we do.

So, who does that?

The mathematicians.

But you'd be wasting your time.

Why?

Sorry, I just want to understand, for the future.

Because it would be a huge commitment of resources,

and they wouldn't think it was worth it.

Just for this little bit of encrypted text?

That's right.

OK, thanks for explaining.

No problem.

But, if I happened to know a mathematician,

here, in the building, would you mind?

If I could persuade him to take a look.

No, but he won't. And he'd be right.

It's not a priority.

And it's not what we've asked you to do.

Can I take this chair?

Thank you.

Don't people hate having their grammar corrected?

Doesn't it just make everyone hate you?

If we wrote code as sloppily as we write English,

it would never run.

Some things... Some things have to be right.

Is that all you're having?

I'm Muslim.

They don't have anything halal here.

And I don't like vegetables.

I'm looking for a mathematician friend, but he isn't here.

Can you tell me where they work, the mathematicians?

I'm new here.

I'll show you if you like.

But I warn you, they won't be very welcoming.

What's funny?

They won't be very welcoming?

No different to any other department here then?

No different FROM any other department.

It's "different from", "compared with".

Have you worked here a long time?

Here and before.

Before? Before we were in this, this...doughnut.

Oh. Was it very...different from now? Hmm!

It was.

I'd like to have seen that.

I can show you, if you like.

OK.

You wanted to see the mathematicians.

This is it. Cryptology.

By the way, we don't ask where departments are at GCHQ,

especially Cryptology.

You know,

security and...all that.

But I won't tell if you don't.

If you do want to see the old HQ, let me know.

Hello. I'm sorry to interrupt.

Is there anyone here called Gabriel?

What do you want?

I'm busy.

Do you really still use this stuff?

We don't have whiteboards.

Too noisy.

You shouldn't be here.

What is it?

It's encrypted text, from a malware string.

Encrypted strings pop up all the time. It doesn't mean anything.

That's what they told me you'd say.

Come on, Gabriel.

Encrypted text from a piece of malware we haven't seen before.

It must be worth a look, surely?

Please.

I can't make any promises.

We're busy. We may decide it's not worth the time and resources.

Are you saying you can't do it?

No.

I'm saying it may not be worth the time and resources.

Thank you.

White boards...

Too noisy, as in too bright, right?

Of course.

What else could it mean?

Oh, Allah.

Forgive Ahmed Parvin,

and elevate his station amongst those who are guided.

Send him along the path of those who came before.

And forgive him and have mercy on him.