Digital Fortress - Summary

About:

Digital Fortress is Dan Brown's first novel Released in 1998. The digital Fortress is a techno-thriller novel & the book explores the theme of government surveillance, the flow and security of individuals' private data, and unintended effects of technological change.

Summary:

The book starts with the NSA(National Security Agency), the nation's most powerful government organisation. The NSA encounter a piece of code that supercomputer(TRANSLTR) is unable to break. Commander Trevor Strathmore believes that a former NSA employee might have created an unbreakable algorithm, which threatens the security of the nation and the future of the agency itself.

An ambitious man, Strathmore recognizes the opportunity to turn the situation around to his own benefit. When Strathmore realizes he needs assistance, he calls in the NSA's head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher.

In the race against Time, Susan Fletcher uncovers the astounding truth about the NSA's deputy director as the nation's most classified information is in grave danger of being exposed to the world and the life of the man she loves hangs in the balance.

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 auction to the highest bidder unless the NSA informs the American public about the nature of supercomputer(TRANSLTR).

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!

Commander Strathmore told Fletcher that, Tankado was employed with the NSA on a work visa from Japan. He helped to build TRANSLTR but was outraged when he discovered that the NSA would be able to use the computer to read the emails of private citizens. Tankado saw this NSA's ability as a violation of Human Rights. He quit the job and threatened to go public about NSA's top-secret computer. Tankado's capture and deportation were widely publicized and his reputation was ruined.

He also told that he had a call with Tankado a few months ago where he told Strathmore that he will destroy Digital Fortress if the NSA would go public about TRANSLTR. Strathmore did not believe him, so Tankado moved forward by placing a complimentary copy of the program on his website. Every Software company in Japan downloaded Digital Fortress but no one can open it without Tankado's passcode, which is being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

In the meanwhile, Strathmore informs Susan that Tankado found dead in Seville, Spain. And told her to find his partner via email accounts 'ndakota' she runs tracer on the email account by that time she finds out that Strathmore sends David to Spain because he needed a private courier that he could trust.

David retrieves a ring which he believes might be important for National Security. Someone tries to Assassinate David but he was able to outwit the assassin, who stumbles down the stairs to his death.

David is shot with a stun gun by two government agents who put him in the back of their van along with the body of assassin.

Grey Hale, a fellow cryptographer that Susan dislikes, comes in while she is tracing the email. When Susan discovers emails from Tankoda to North Dakota on Hale's computer, she suspects that he is Tankado's secret partner.

Meanwhile, Phil Chartrikian, an NSA technician discovers that TRANSLTR has a virus. Strathmore ordered to leave the premises as he is running the diagnostic on the Computer. Chartrikian defies the orders and goes to sublevel tp shut down TRANSLTR's power. A struggle ensues between Strathmore and Chartruian and the technician falls to his death his body shorts out the generator and the Main power lost on the Cryptography floor.

Hale witnesses Chartrikian murder & when he tries to tell it to Susan, she didn't believe him and thinks that Hale is the killer & he is going to hurt her. And she told Strathmore that Hale is the North Dakota & Strathmore knocks Hale unconscious, then ties him up.

By the time Susan figures out that there is no North Dakota, Tankado himself sending all the email messages. Susan Rushed to the Sub-level to shut off TRANSLTR, by the time Strathmore kills Hale and convince Susan to sit down I will go to shut-off the TRANSLTR power, while Strathmore is gone, pager goes off in Strathmore pocket. Susan reads the message & finds that David along with several other victims has been murdered by an assassin hired by Strathmore.

She finds out the virus that he let into System is actually a worm that will destroy the main databank's filters, allowing public access to classified government information.

Everyone in the room is trying to figure out the kill code that will stop the worm. Susan told that the passcode is engraved on a ring that belongs to Tankado, who was killed in Spain where Susan finds out that her fiance is alive.

David tells Everyone in the room that he has the ring. He reads the inscription but it turns out not to be the passcode. Susan discovers a code in Tankado's program that turns out to be a puzzle and the seconds before the main filter is destroyed, the puzzle is solved and databank is saved.

In this epilogue, Numataka discovers that Tankado was the son he had abandoned at childbirth.