The Chaos Protocol [Paperback]

Nancy J. McKibben (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 1999

We've heard about the devastation that computers may cause at year's end - but what about the evil that men may do?

With the millennium fast approaching, vast sums of money begin to disappear from Department of Defense accounts, and then from a major bank whose y2k project is headed by British-born Annette Ashby. The culprit? A computer worm. It threatens to spread across the country, even the world, imperiling the global economy - and if the worm isn't found and eradicated before December 31st, banks around the world will unwittingly archive it into their vital data files.

Who can Annette trust? The shadow of suspicion has fallen across two men on her year 2000 computer team. Nerd-next-door Leo Hermann has abandoned his prestigious Silicon Valley job for a chance to win Annette's love. And his rival, the equally brilliant and farm more charming Russian migr, has his own plans for Annette.

When the FBI and the CIA join the hunt, the action moves to St. Petersburg, then back to the States as the y2k team races the millennium clock to save the world's economy from the computer worm that could trigger its collapse - this is "The Chaos Protocol."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An exciting fictional account of the danger posed by Y2K that follows project leader Annette Ashby around the world in an attempt to keep a Y2K-induced killer computer worm from sucking the world economy dry. A must-read for anyone tired of the abstract and sober nature of Y2K." -- Westergaard Year 2000 Online, Y2K Book Center, July 15, 1999

"If you want to take your mind off of Y2k, but not too far off, get a copy of Nancy McKibben's novel, The Chaos Protocol. Using the knowledge of Y2k gleaned from this list and many other on- and offline sources, McKibben weaves an exciting tale of what might happen if Y2k is crossed with an attempt to insert into the world's banking system a worm that will extract huge sums and wreck the global economy. McKibben cleverly uses her knowledge of Y2k and large computer systems to tell a credible story of potential technical disaster. But this is not just a technical manual disguised as a novel. McKibben enlivens the story with the very human accounts of the people who must find the worm and stop it from creating chaos. The Y2k deadline drives the pacing of the book, which makes for compelling reading." (Norman Kurland, moderator for the CPSR (Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility) email list) -- Norman Kurland, moderator for the CPSR, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, email list

"The Chaos Protocol is a tautly written, highly recommended thriller right out of today's headlines." -- The Midwest Book Review

"What a great book! It brings new meaning to the phrase "losing sleep over Y2K"-you'll stay up 'til all hours reading this suspenseful book! McKibben knows people and tells a gripping story with Tom Clancy thoroughness. Techies will recognize themselves in this book. And the book will energize them to power through the last few months of this year. It's a real tribute to all the techies working around the world on Y2K." -- PJ Wylie, Y2K computer consultant and author of Power Your Way Through Y2K

"Who can say what will really happen around the world when clocks strike 2000? In this fast-paced thriller, McKibben finally writes flesh onto a topic that has remained all too abstract, showing us what can (or will?) happen when the unscrupulous look at our latest man-made disaster and see only opportunity. A thought-provoking read." -- Louise Vetter, co-author of the Alison Glen Mysteries

An exciting novel that weaves a web of international intrigue around one of the central issues of our time the Y2K problem while showing us the vulnerability of our computer systems to malicious hackers and economic espionage. McKibben blends a clever mix of credible fact and suspenseful fiction in this captivating tale of a marauding computer worm and the dedicated team seeking to disable it. A fine read now and for years to come. (James. E. Freeze Major General, USA, Retired Former Military Intelligence Officer -- James E. Freeze Major General, USA, Retired Former Military Intelligence Officer

About the Author

Nancy J.McKibben studied French and Russian languages at The Ohio State University, then spent six years as a journalist, living and travelling in the United States, Asia, Western Europe, Russia, and Eastern Europe, where she had the opportunity to interview Pope John Paul II, then- Cardinal Karol Wojtylla. She homeschools her six children, and has stayed active as a speaker and writer through the publication of various homeschool periodicals, newsletters and articles. Her husband Michael, founder of several software development companies and creator of AT&Ts AccessPlus 3.x/4.x corporate messaging system and LEADER.com, serves as her technical consultant. Nancy lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Malmesbury Books; First printing, Ex-Library edition (June 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893857905
• ISBN-13: 978-1893857902
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,595,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic characters & exciting plot make this a must-read, October 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chaos Protocol (Paperback)

I liked the plot of The Chaos Protocol - fast-paced, exciting, lots of twists and turns. Good high-tech research, credible scenarios. And the device of using a countdown - starting out with June 10 as Day 205 and counting down, scene after scene, as the millennium gets closer and closer, was quite effective. But I usually read a book for character, and I liked these characters because they weren't supermen, they were flawed and human. Alex, head of the y2k consulting firm, cool and professional at work, but in therapy because of his nightmares about what the year 2000 may bring. Annette, the brilliant, driven y2k project manager who is nevertheless clueless in her own love life. And one of my favorites, although a minor character, Norman Krebbs, a lowly accountant who fantasizes that he is a super-hero: Captain Bean Counter. Then there's Leo the nerd, and Volodya the charmer, and Harry the irascible old federal programmer - all the characters seemed well-drawn to me. I was cheering all these people on as I read the book, wanting them to find the computer worm, get their y2k project done, beat the deadline. As good as the high-tech stuff was, and as suspenseful as the plot was, it was the characters that made the book live for me. And here's a case of the headlines being ripped from the book!! The author actually anticipated headlines with this book. Newspapers are reporting potential massive embezzlements as a result of unethical y2k remediators - the very plot of the book!! Don't wait another day to read The Chaos Protocol!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable, fast paced, good plot and educational, August 2, 1999

By 

J. Frazier - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chaos Protocol (Paperback)

First of all, I rarely read a book in a weekend. I'm a slow reader and I'm easily distracted by shiny things. So that is about the best review that I can give it! The book is a mixture of a Tom Clancy novel and a Y2K primer. The plot moves along at a rippingly good pace and has a satisfactory ending. It also serves as a good primer for the Y2K problem, as well as preparations that companies and families should make. For Y2K experts, the discussions about Year 2000 issues may give you an excuse to skim a little, but be careful not to miss important stuff. The book finishes up early in 2000, but that is all I'll tell you. You and I will have to wait and see what really happens.

Y2K buffs may recognize a few of the characters. As an added bonus, my book even came with a Hollerith card for a bookmark. I've been looking for one of those to use in my lectures. Thanks, Nancy for an excellent read. So, when's the sequal?

In a nutshell: enjoyable, fast paced, good plot and educational.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Y2K -- Computer Glitches Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg, July 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chaos Protocol (Paperback)

So you thought Y2K's computer snafus would be the main thing to worry about come January 1, 2000? Get a grip. Get this book. Like looters during a blackout, economic opportunists -- hackers, e-thieves, and saboteurs -- will certainly take advantage of all the confusion created by Y2K's more prosaic problems. With gripping and even sympathetic characters to drive her plot and subplots, McKibben delivers.

The confusion at year's end is not exactly what Nancy McKibben means by "The Chaos Protocol," which in the book describes an insidious computer virus with worldwide economic consequences. But it's McKibben's possibly prescient rendering of the exploitation of the chaos at year's end that is most riveting -- and most newsworthy.

This is a well- and fast-paced page-turner. It's more than a thriller. Unlike the stuff of Clancy et al., the premise in "The Chaos Protocol" is actually within the realm of possibility -- and is something we should all be aware of lest we be caught unawares.

How long do we have? The countdown on McKibben's own website will let you know. But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and whisk through this thriller.