Chapter 157
John’s POV
Federal Office – The next day
Ever since Fredrick’s matter happened, I was specially appointed as the head of the team.
Now I am also part of the IT security department.
I was comparing the deigns;
Original and those of the rival company.
The similarities were uncanny for anyone, and they were beyond just an artist taking inspiration from Veronica’s designs.
The placement of the stones, the metalwork, even the way the designs were presented was point to point
That’s when I noticed some of the details used in the rival company designs, were never shown out of the Harmon Designs studio.
And all of the designs had parts missing that were to be revealed during the launch event,
Yet the rival designs were complete.
“Could someone have leaked them from within p>
I opened the company’s secure designer server, so I could check the original sketches Veronica uploaded.
After comparing them, there was no second moment of doubt.
Several distinctive details were used that in the Harmon designs were hidden p>
“And so far they were only available in the Harmon Designs internal logs p>
“And never made public p>
“That means someone has access to them p>
“But who p>
“Let’s check the download history,” I said.
“Maybe I can find something here p>
“Lets see,” I said as I logged in to the company’s security system and I began to review the access logs p>
I recorded every login, every download, every file transfer done once she loaded the designs.
“Looks like I got the mole,” I stopped as I noticed an unusual logging to access Veronica’s design folders, that too out of office time.
“So,” I said as I looked at the history.
“You’ve been keeping track from the day she began updating them p>
“Let’s export the security logs, and cross check the employee permissions p>
“Great p>
I said as I noticed only a few people had access.
Apart from Veronica, and Jonathan, the designer director, some of the senior designers, and a few of the designing executives.
The list was surprisingly short for someone to take such a risk.
“But then this made things easy for me too p>
“And far more dangerous than I expected p>
One thing I knew now,
The mole is one who’s trusted by everyone.
“Jonathan,” I said on the phone.
“Come over right now p>
Jonathan arrived within minutes.
“Jonathan,” I said. “Once you see this, I think you won’t need any explanation p>
Jonathan studied the pieces carefully.
And truly for a person who founded his jewelry business on his own designs, nothing escaped his eyes.
“It’s so precise,” he said.
“Anyone with a normal eye would never be able to tell them apart p>
“And since they have the full design p>
“We look like the imposters p>
“No rumor, no accusation could make us look natural p>
“John,” he said.
“Keep the investigation under locks p>
“From now on follow every track, including mine and Veronica’s p>
“What?” I was shocked.
“Who knows if the person isn’t using his ip address and ours p>
“After all we just united after misunderstandings p>
“Why can’t they happen again p>
I nodded in agreement.
“Nicky,” Jonathan said on the phone. “Come over to the address I sent you p>
“You’re calling her over p>
“We swore no more secrets,” he said. “And this involves her company p>
Just then Veronica arrived.
“Nicky,” Jonathan said, gesturing to her to sit beside him.
Veronica carefully reviewed the logs I had laid out on my screen displays.
“The information is no doubt troubling, but please it’s a request p>
“Don’t accuse anyone unless proven p>
We both agreed as we ourselves didn’t want the innocent to suffer for another’s doings.
I was happy for Veronica,
She came a long way.
Now she understood being a leader meant protecting the people around you in difficult times.
And she was doing that.
I continued the investigation.
I identified every device connection that was involved.
Every internet address that was connected.
I started to eliminate the normal ones, and began to make a list of the possible suspects.
Some employees were given temporary approval, but canceled before the day Veronica uploaded her designs.
Others hadn’t logged in at all.
Several were logged in, but never accessed the designs.
Veronica and Jonathan’s were accessed only when they were in office.
Soon enough I had a list of roughly ten to fifteen suspects.
Each name eliminated meant getting closer to the mole.
I cracked my fingers as I saw the few names left.
“I have to get over this as it’s a grave matter p>
One thing I knew as a hacker, no one can hide from me.
Competitors are expected, but with me, they are still levels below.
But today I felt different as today I was investigating within the company, unlike before p>
It was always outside.
I realized today I was investigating a person who had Veronica, and Jonathan’s trust.
This troubled me to no end.
Just then I got an idea.
I began digging into the attendance records.
The company used cards for entries and leaves.
The person would have to use it no matter what.
Finally a pattern appeared.
The suspect followed a pattern,
One that allowed him to access Veronica’s logs while she was in the office.
Finally, I got hold of an encrypted folder.
I noticed the folder was accessed several times during the development of the designs.
After an hour’s ordeal, I had a faint digital trail to follow.
I noticed one system file, and scanned it.
It wasn’t a personal laptop, but a workstation and from inside Harmon Designs.
The work station was in the heart of the designing studio.
I immediately printed the report and went over to Jonathan’s office.
Rollings Designs – An hour later
As I entered, I skipped the formalities, and placed the report on his desk.
He picked it up and studied it carefully.
Neither of us said a word as he reviewed it.
The evidence pointed to an authoritative figure.
He was the least suspected one from the list.
We both exhaled as now the investigation had entered a dangerous territory.
“Jonathan,” I said pointing to a page on the report.
Jonathan and Veronica glanced at it.
The page had a list of unauthorized downloads, encrypted transfers, and suspicious activities being accessed from Veronica’s work station.
“The source has been found,” I said.
“It belongs to an older executive computer p>