Page 24 of Silent Menace
Trying not to go into full-fledged panic mode, she called the help desk and explained her situation. The IT guy asked a few questions, then requested permission to access her computer remotely. While he worked, Hailey tried to think of what could have happened. Had the system just glitched? This computer wasn’t brand-new, but it wasn’t terribly old either.
The IT guy made a contemplative noise, and Hailey swung her gaze to the screen. He had the properties tab of one of the files pulled up, and she frowned.
“Does that say this file was created two days ago?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That can’t be right. I’ve been working on that spreadsheet for weeks, and I wasn’t even here on Saturday.”
“Does anyone else have access to your computer?”
“No. I mean, it’s here in the office, but no one has my log-in information. And we’re closed on the weekend. No one would have been here.” Except whoever had broken into the office. She checked the time stamp and sucked in a breath.3:46a.m.The time fit.
Her brain wandered while IT continued to probe her device. Why would someone have broken into the office to replace her files with scrambled ones? Had she been targeted again? Had anyone else’s computer been messed with? She’d have to figure out how far they’d dug into her records. And she’d have to notify all the affected clients. She tried not to groan. Her clients could choose to take their business elsewhere, or worse, try to sue. She dropped her head into her hand. This kind of breach was not good.
The IT guy gave a grunt of satisfaction. “I think we’ve hit pay dirt.”
She lifted her head and almost cheered at the sight of what appeared to be her real files. After the tech restored them, he relinquished access to her computer so she could check the contents privately. A cursory examination indicated all was in order. She expressed her thanks and finished the call.
But she knew she couldn’t just get to work. Her spreadsheets were back. The information recovered. But someone had been in these files. She had to report it.
Squelching the urge to get on with work and pretend nothing had happened, she locked her computer and headed to Gleason’s office. Her boss held up a finger when she tapped on the half-open door.
“Don’t go off half-cocked. There’s probably a good explanation for that. ... At least wait until someone can go over it with you. ... Fine. I can do that. I’ll be there at three.” He hung up thephone and motioned her in. “It’s shaping up to be a rotten day already. What can I help you with?”
His day was about to get worse. She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think whoever broke in over the weekend also accessed my computer.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“When I logged in this morning, everything looked normal. But when I tried to open a client file, it was corrupted.” She explained her conversation with IT and what they’d discovered.
Gleason scrubbed a hand down the side of his face. “I knew I should have asked for a triple shot of espresso this morning.” He fixed his eyes on her. “Was your computer shut down properly Friday afternoon?”
“I always shut it down completely at the end of the day. Even if I hadn’t, the autolock would have kicked in after fifteen minutes,” she reminded him. The security measure was an office requirement.
“And you don’t leave your passwords lying around or hidden in your desk?”
“No. And before you ask, I don’t share them with anyone either.”
He frowned, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her. “All right. Don’t do anything else on your computer right now. The police may want to look at it. Were you able to tell which accounts were compromised?”
“I only know for sure about the ones that were duplicated and corrupted.” She listed off the affected accounts. Gleason grimaced when she mentioned Eukaria.
“Figures they’d mess with one of our biggest clients,” he muttered.
She shared his frustration. “I’m pretty sure the system records the last-access date on each file, so we should be able to tell which were opened that night. But I have no idea if there’s a way to tell whether any were copied onto an external drive without being opened.”
He grunted and reached for his phone. “If the police have no objection, I’ll contact IT and see if I can track someone down who can do a more in-depth analysis of your computer and files. Since you’re new to the Eukaria accounts, I’ll try to do damage control with them when I’m done. Can you handle the others?”
“Of course.” She stood. She could have handled Eukaria too, but she couldn’t deny she was grateful for the help. Today wasn’t just rotten; it was turning out to be an office nightmare.
“Hailey.” He stopped her before she reached the door to his office. “Keep this quiet for now. Make those calls from the small conference room. I don’t want any visiting clients to overhear you. Taking responsibility for any breaches that actually occurred is one thing, but I don’t want to incite unnecessary panic.”
“Yes, sir.” She excused herself and closed his office door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she started toward her desk. She needed to grab her phone and a notebook before settling into the conference room.
“My, my. Called into the boss’s office already? That can’t be a good way to begin the week.”
Hailey cut her eyes toward Stefania’s cubicle and found the woman smirking at her. A sharp retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she bit it back. The woman could act like a dramatic middle schooler if she wanted, but Hailey refused to stoop to her level. It wasn’t worth it.
