A CODE AND BROWN

DIGITAL FORTRESS

THIS STORY NOT ONLY THRILLS YOU BUT ALSO SHOWS YOU THAT TEAMWORK CAN BRING OUT ANY OBSTACLE INTO EASE.

A TECHNO THRILLER BOOK BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR DAN BROWN

A CODE...A PERSON...ONE FINGER...MURDER....A RING AND FINALLY BOOM....

AN incident which takes place after an advance in cryptography foils the secret of government supercomputer.TRANSLTR.which has been used to violate AMERICANS PRIVACY POLICIES.

The novel begins as members of the United States’ National Security Agency encounter a piece of code that TRANSLTR is unable to break . Commander Trevor Strathmore reaches out to the NSA’s head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, asking her to try to break it. After precursory research, Fletcher discovers a former NSA operative Ensei Tankado created the code. Tankado had become disillusioned with the purpose of the NSA after finding that it routinely pries into the private data of citizens without just cause. Tankado presents an ultimatum to the NSA wherein he will reveal his cryptographic code, “Digital Fortress,” to the world via an auction to the highest bidder unless the NSA informs the American public about the nature of TRANSLTR. If he dies, he has a provision in place that allows his partner, who goes by “North Dakota,” to release the code for free. In response, the NSA resolves to stop Digital Fortress through other means. Upon Tankado’s death, Strathmore requests that Fletcher’s soon-to-be husband, David Becker, fly to Seville to find a ring that Tankado had worn. The NSA suspects the ring contains a code that will unlock Digital Fortress. Becker investigates, finding that Tankado gave the ring away just before he died. He questions a series of people, who are subsequently murdered by a deaf assassin, Hulohot.

Ensei Tankado and North Dakota are the same person, realizing that the anagram “NDAKOTA” recombines into “TANKADO.” Strathmore kills Hale and botching an attempt to make it seem like a suicide, reveals himself. Fletcher taps into Strathmore’s pager, finding out that he hired Hulohot. Becker tracks down Hulohot and narrowly survives, killing the assassin.

THEN COMES THE CLIMAX...

When TRANSLTR begins to overheat, Strathmore stands next to it, committing suicide when it explodes. Just after the virus reaches the NSA database, Becker discovers that the password is 3, a reference to the bombs that killed Tankado’s mother and crippled him. The NSA permits Becker to come back to the United States, where he reunites with Fletcher.

The crux of Digital Fortress, which comes down to the ego and insecurity of one man, suggests that personal motives are entangled with professional ones, transforming centers of political power into tools for advancing personal agendas. Framing this fact around the modern discourse on whether private citizens should retain rights to data privacy, it is a case against government interference in Americans’ constitutional rights.