One year after a near-fatal accident, Alice takes on her biggest hack yet – literally.
One year after a near-fatal accident, Alice takes on her biggest hack yet – literally.
The Hacker Chronicles
Presented by Tenable. Learn more at Tenable.com/Alice
Vote for The Hacker Chronicles in the 2nd Annual Signal Listener's Choice Award.
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Credits:
Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe
And Chloe Taylor as Alice
Executive Produced by Michael C. Hall, Jerome Robert, Skyler Schmanski, & Ian Faison
Directed by Rex New
Written for Audio by Rex New, Jerome Robert, & Skyler Schmanski
Story based on the Novella The Hacker Chronicles created by Jerome Robert and written by Skyler Schmanski
With:
Nicole Britton as Katie
Zach Lazar Hoffman as Karl
Douglas Thornton as Arthur
Jimmie Yamaguchi as Ryan
Natalie Rarick as Beth
Rex New as Kaden
The Hacker Chronicles is produced by Caspian Studios.
Produced by Taylor Brim & Rex New
Produced by Dane Eckerle
Supervising Creative Producer: Landon Pontius
Sound Design and Mixing by Dan Scott
Associate Producer: Mark Wolf Roberts
Dialogue Editing by Nick Canepa and Scott Goodrich
Production Support by SJ Nichols, Bradley Glanzrock, Jon Libbey
and Dani Godard.
Marketing Support from Dino Pasalic, Kyle Rusca, Dylan Langlois and Rockable
Additional Production Support provided by Echo Mountain Studios
Voicemail: You have four new voice messages. To play your messages, press one.
Beth: Alice, that's here. How's my favorite expat? I just wanted to thank you for the house warming gifts. These candles smell divine and Maddie loves them. So thank you. God. I gotta say, getting back with her is the best decision I've ever made. Uh, how's Europe by the way? I haven't heard from you in months. Gimme a ring.
Voicemail: Next message.
Ryan: It's Ryan, your favorite brother, and your only brother. Listen, Alice, I'm gonna make this quick. I, I can't decide which color my cumberband should be. Uh, I, I know it should be green, but all, all these shades of green are really starting to look alike. I really need your help. It, it's the little details. They're gonna make this wedding special, and if I don't get this right, everything could be ruined. I, I can't let Natalia down. Call me back asap, please.
Voicemail: Next message.
Arthur: It's Arthur, uh, just slumming it in. Lake Placid here as always. I, I was thinking we should schedule another virtual coffee sometime, because, uh, I'm getting, I'm getting really worried about you and I can sense something, something in the mycelium network that connects us all. And even though you are in the birthplace of socialism, I sense you're in grave danger. Grave danger. Or maybe I mixed up my magic mushrooms with the grocery store ones. Oh, I definitely did that. Oh boy. No, I'm feeling it now. Yeah, they are. Oh, I'm riding it. Oh, this is gonna be a long night. Oh boy.
Voicemail: End of messages.
Alice: Oh boy. Indeed. You have no idea how right you are. Hey Siri. Open voice recorder. Hi, it's me, Alice Mitnick, a k a Ableton. It's been a while. The last time I left a message like this was, Ooh, hold on. I'm gonna have to google this. 413 days, Jesus. It's been 413 days since my life changed forever. Since I was in a car crash, that took me half a year to recover from since I lost my best friend, Jeanie, my freedom, my ability to walk well, at least that part came back when I woke up from the crash. I was like a hard drive that was just white clean. The doctor said it was trauma and that I would remember eventually those moments right before the crash, but I never did. All I have to go by is this gnarly scar from a shard of the windshield in my shoulder, an inch to the left, and it would've gone clean through my neck and out the headrest.
That one inch saved my life, what's left of it? 413 days ago I was caught by the man. I called John Doe. No face. Just a voice that promise to docks me to the FBI and tell them I hacked Robert Sky, the world's biggest food conglomerate, but I shut down their operations for a week and put the entire Eastern Seaboards food supply at risk, all because I could. So we made a deal. If I worked for him, he wouldn't turn me in. But the price was control. He said he was a gray hat hacker for Western governments helping them do their dirty work, and he wanted a partner. Sounds shady, right? Except he kept his promises. We really did do that dirty work. We took down some bad guys.
We also did a few things for the money, but you know, all in all, I could stand behind everything. He paid me my cut, like roughly 15 K per month. I mean, for that amount of money, I'd have done a lot worse. Hell, I even moved to Europe. I became a digital nomad, pretending to be a cybersecurity consultant, so we could do a few jobs in person.
To be honest, the only thing I didn't really have time for was piano. Hey, you can't have it all, but today is a new day one for better or probably for worse. I know you'd love to hear about my other adventures, the time we put a typo in a pharmaceutical company's earnings release. The sporting goods company whose stock we sent tumbling after exposing rampant sexual harassment.
And I can't forget when we made a fake dating profile to catfish. Well, you probably heard about all that. So why do we do it? What grander purpose do we serve with these hacks? Don't worry, I'll get there. You're gonna have to be patient. What's important is how I got here, and that story starts with a hack That honestly was pretty sexy.
I mean, as far as hacks go. My target, the navigational system of a 400 meter container ship in Valencia, Spain.
Alice: Hello. What's up John?
John Doe: I just spoke with my insider, Karl, he's ready for you at the port. Can you meet him in one hour?
Alice: Yeah. I got my bag ready. Laptop charger, fake papers. I'll be there.
John Doe: You don't sound enthusiastic. You sound like,
Alice: Like someone who was forced to come to Europe four months ago to sneak onto a 400-meter container ship hack its navigational software and misalign the rudder, 15.3 degrees.
John: You didn't let me finish my sentence. I was gonna say, you sound nervous.
Alice: I don't get nervous.
John Doe: I'm your friend Alice. I know you.
Alice: Yeah. Friends don't threaten to dox their friends when they disagree.
John Doe: Friends don't typically pay friends either. I guess that makes me your friend with benefits.
Alice: That's not what that means.
John: I can see how that can be misconstrued. Forgive me, English is my third language. Okay, here's what matters. There are electronics being smuggled onto that boat and into countries that are evading international sanctions on chip imports. This will expose them and the shipping company behind this in the most dramatic way possible, which is what our employer wants. If you pull this off, Alice, you'll be the first, the first to do a hack of this magnitude until today, what you're about to do is just a thought experiment. Not anymore. You'll be the toast of dark web message boards and discords all over the world.
Alice: But how do we even know this is gonna work?
John Doe: Come on. Because you have friends on this app and not just me. Speaking of which have some patience with Karl. He means well, but he's kind of an idiot.
Alice: What the F does that mean? Hello? Hello? God, I hate when he hangs up like that. I liked him better when he had the voice changer.
Karl: Alice, you're here.
Alice: Hello, Karl? Yes, Karl. You're supposed to call me Emily, at least in public.
Karl: That's what my ID papers say right here. I'm sorry. Did I mess up? What? I can't hear. I can't hear you. I just, I didn't mean to mess up. I, I'm sorry. I just, I just, I got excited. It's not often I do things for, uh, our friend.
Alice: He's not my friend.
Karl: But, but what do you think about the Port of Valencia? Eh, not bad. It's the biggest in the Mediterranean.
Alice: It smells like diesel. Can we go to the boat please?
Karl: Ah, you get used to the diesel. So we're going to the H C V Orca. We'll be able to speak freely there. No cams, no nothing. But if anyone does ask, we are doing a routine maintenance check on the boat's IT systems. I know your friend and I have talked about this like a million times. He's a great friend. No, a friend with benefits. If you ask me, ah,
Alice: I didn't. How far is it to the orca?
Karl: Five minutes tops. Follow me.
Karl: Does, uh, everything look like you expected?
Alice: Yeah. We've got a computer workstation with a proprietary operating system that controls the boat's navigation. Let me just take a seat real quick and make sure there are no surprises. Give me a minute here. Just got a jangle around these cords with this laptop and... there all set.
Man, these proprietary systems are old, like 30 years old, which means the security protocols are beyond basic.
Karl: I've always thought it's strange that we don't update these security protocols more often, right?
Alice: It shouldn't be that simple, but people are the most vulnerable, where they're the most comfortable. Thing is you need to be physically connected to this machine to make it all work, and there are layers of security to even step inside the port, not to mention this boat. So the Marquez Maritime Corporation, the owners of this boat aren't incredibly worried about hacking, plus hacking a boat is like, unheard of. So why bother? This is gonna take a few minutes. Our friend and I have been practicing for months, so it shouldn't be a big deal. All I'm doing is reprogramming a few lines of code to interfere with how the computerized navigational system communicates with the physical parts of the boat, like the rudder and the engine and yada yada. Mm.
Karl: It's almost like misaligning the tires in your car.
Alice: Yes, exactly. I am a human pothole.
Karl: I'd say you're a hacker.
Alice: Well, not in this case. Karl, you're actually the hacker if you think about it.
Karl: I am?
Alice: Yeah. I mean, a lot of people think hacking is just typing things into a computer, but you gotta figure out how to get access and you are the one who provided us with the boat blueprint, the system version, the schedules for it, everything. It's no different than industrial espionage. An insider gives someone access and that someone gets into a company's systems. And Karl, what the hell are you doing? Are you, are you taking photos? I'm sending a selfie to our mutual friend. But I can't get a good angle. Uh, maybe you should take it. He, he wants an update. I love photos. It's the best way to remember anything.
Alice: Okay. You do. You Carl, look, we should be outta here in like two minutes. Okay. I need to execute a few commands to inject the payload. Once we do that, the information, the boats navigation systems send to the rudder will be off just enough to misalign the rudder by 15.3 degrees and dammit!
Karl: What?
Alice: The operating system's been upgraded. Did you know that Karl?
Karl: Uh, I...
Alice: How the hell did you not know this?
Karl: Oh my God. Must have not included me in their emails.
Alice: Fine. I'm just gonna...
Karl: Will you still be able to, to be...
Alice: ...A human pothole? Well, I don't know. Now we gotta deal with this. So it depends on how much tar these programmers caked onto the new os. Right. Um, whoa. Let's, all right, just, just hold on. Let me think a minute. Um, Karl, listen, let me borrow your laptop. Yeah, I need to search their documentation to figure out if the functions I'm messing with have been altered, you know? So this maintenance laptop you gave me has too many security protocols to get online with an unregistered hotspot. Yours though, yours would go a lot quicker.
Karl: You mean you can adapt your payload. So it'll work with the upgraded operating system?
Alice: Yeah, maybe. And if it works, I'll transfer the new payload to the thumb drive and go from there. Okay, gimme one moment here. Just wanted to close a few tabs. Thank you. And here we go. Ah, thank God for your antiquated laptop. It has these old U S B A ports. The only thumb drive I brought with me was meant for the boat's old machine and uses the same interface. All right, I need to go through some of my code, but it looks like this OS update was just minor maintenance. Still. I gotta double check everything.
Karl: Can you do it in an hour? Hell yeah. I've been preparing for three months for this. It's not gonna be a problem.
Karl: Seriously, for our friend. Ugh. I wanted to show him you are the real deal.
Alice: I'm the real deal.
Karl: Can, can you do me a favor though?
Alice: What? That's the worst question you can ask anyone.
Karl: I know, but could, could you just not tell him about the OS upgrade? You know how he can get
Alice: Sure. Yeah, definitely.
John Doe: Hello Alice.
Alice: It's done. I
John Doe: know. I saw the photos.
Alice: You were right. Karl is a lot.
John Doe: Anything else to report?
Alice: No, no, just, just did my job. Hey, I gotta go. It's wine night, dude.
John Doe: I don't care.
Katie: Hello Alice. Alice, are you home? Is that you?
Alice: (Under her breath) Yeah. Who else would it be? (Yelling) Hey Katie. What time are we having people? Katie, Katie?!
Katie: Surprise! (Pops champagne)
Alice: Champagne! Champagne for wine night?
Katie: Oh wait, it's not champagne actually. It's kava Spanish sparkling wine.
Alice: Kava? Yeah, I'm down with Kava. Okay. Um, why are you pouring it now?
Katie: Well, I didn't realize this until an hour ago, but it's been exactly one year since your accident to the day. Wow. And I just wanted to make a toast to you.
Alice: Oh no.
Katie: That night that you told me that you were moving out, we had our first wine night together and we realized we had a lot more in common than we ever thought. And after your accident, I wondered, was I gonna lose a friend? But look at us now. You started your new, very top secret, very cool cybersecurity consulting gig. And of all the friends in all the towns, in all the worlds, you asked me to come to Europe with you and yes, you do work quite a lot and I work quite a bit less, but that's to be expected when you're a content marketer for a candle company. And, and, well I'm just glad that we can have a wine night together.
Alice: Yeah, me too.
Katie: Alice, you are more than a roommate to me, or a friend, or a travel buddy, or like a hangout pal. You are my sister.
Alice: Yo. Come on. Come on. All right. Oh yeah. What's that? What's that smell? What's that smell? That cheese.
Alice: Hey, come on. Isn't it so cheesy in here right now? I can't cut the, cut the cheese. Katie, can you just cut the cheese? No, seriously though. I am really glad you're on this, you know, adventure with me cuz I don't know what I'd do without you. Even if I am working all the time.
Katie: We should talk about the Danish elephant in the room.
Alice: Aw. Get. I wanna go to Copenhagen, Katie, but it's the middle of January right now. It's like freezing cold there.
Katie: Yeah.
Alice: Yeah. And they get like, what, three hours of sunlight.
Katie: True. I know. But Denmark is the origin place of Huah. Their entire national culture is based around the word that literally means well-being. It means being present, taking care of yourself, eating well, being cozy, going there is gonna be good for both of us, and it's practically a pilgrimage for me. We could also go see my cousin in London. She's an event planner, and she could get us into some pretty amazing parties.
Alice: Can't we go somewhere like Warmer and Sunnier in the winter?
Katie: Barcelona and Madrid are up next.
Alice: Yeah, that I can get behind.
Katie: Now before we toast, can I get a selfie with my one and only Alice Mitnick? I mean, we have to commemorate today.
Alice: Just No, we do not. What do I keep saying? Please keep me off your social media, even if it's a big day like today. Okay. I like my privacy.
Katie: Okay, miss nda, your secrets are safe with me now. Salud.
Alice: Salud?
Alice: Mm. Oh wow. A year.
Katie: Yeah.
Alice: Yep.
Katie: Yeah.
Alice: Hey, listen, I need to make a phone call real quick, just a work thing. I promise it'll just take five minutes. Okay. Just five. (To herself) A year. Freaking year. Oh, a year since I last saw Genie.
Voicemail: This is Kaden, Daniel's cousin, roommate, and wingman. Please leave Daniel a dope ass message.
Alice: Hey Genie, I mean. Daniel, sorry, I don't know what to call you. Um, I don't even know if I should be calling you right now, but Katie just told me it's been a year since my accident. Literally like five minutes ago. She just, I had no idea. It's, but that also means it's been a year since we last spoke. Um, so anyway, life is good. I've seen you on Caden's Instagram and seems like your life is good too. I know that's totally creepy. Like I'm stalking you, but it's cool. Let's see that you're, Camping and snowboarding and drinking apple cider and you know, doing a bunch of Vermont things. Oh, right. I saw you, um, you got a job at the, the snowboarding company. That's totally cool. Like you're just adulting even if it's totally creepy that I know all these things from the internet. Um, okay. Enough embarrassing myself. Um, I just wanted to say, It's been a year since we've even talked and, um, like I've been giving you space and leaving you alone because I figured you probably wanted that time and, and maybe it's like just always gonna be that way. Um, but if you ever wanna play warzone sometime, just let me know. I mean, God, I haven't seen Falcon in like, Months either. Hope you guys are having fun, just being like a super weirdo. Um, but I will just see you around maybe. Okay. God, Alice. Okay. All right. That's that
Alice: Katie, who's ready for wine night? Oh, oh, loud noises. Oh God.
John Doe: Hello. I guess wine night went well. Usually, you're up by now.
Alice: Yeah, it was. It was. Okay. What's up?
John Doe: I have some news for you. The Port of Valencia has been shut down, so we didn't, we did nothing. There was a massive climate change protest that the port, no cars can get in or out, but the boats are doing just fine.
Alice: What? What happened? We are not making sense.
John Doe: Like the HCV Orca, it's been gliding perfectly through the Mediterranean since it left at four this morning. I think you have some explaining to do Alice.
Alice: Shit.
The Hacker Chronicles presented by Tenable. Learn more at tenable.com/alice. Starring Michael C. Hall as John Doe and Chloe Taylor as Alice Executive produced by Michael Sea Hall, Jerome Robert. Skylar Schonski and Ian Faison, directed by Rex New, written for audio by Rex New Jerome, Rob and Skylar Semanski story based on the novella the Hacker Chronicles created by Jerome Rob and written by Skyler. With Nicole Britton as Katie. Zach Lazar Hoffman as Karl. Douglas Thornton, as Arthur. Jimmy Yamaguchi as Ryan Dle. Rex knew as Kaden. The Hacker Chronicles is produced by Caspian Studios, produced by Taylor Brim and Rex New, produced by Dan Kerley, supervising creative producer is Land Pontius. Sound design and mixing is by Dan Scott. The associate producer is Mark Wolf Roberts dialogue, editing by Nick Kanapa and Scott Goodrich. Production support by SJ Nichols, Bradley Glands Rock, John Libby and Danny Goddard. Marketing support from Dino Paoli Ska, Dylan Langle and Rock Bowl. Additional production support provided by Echo Mountain Studios.
Learn more. tenable.com/alice.