Digital Fortress

Digital Fortress, the techno-thriller novel written by Dan Brown, is not the type of book I normally read. However, Dan Brown is the author of The DaVinci Code, a novel I read a few years ago and absolutely adored. Therefore, I figured I would try his other famous story. And I was not disappointed. Digital Fortress grabs you tight and doesn't let go. The story revolves around the National Security Agency's code-breaking supercomputer (keep in mind this was published in 1998 so the technology is a bit out of date now). When the this supposedly invincible code-breaking machine encounters a code it cannot break ("Digital Fortress"), the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, the protagonist of the story. As the description reads, "What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage--not by guns or bombs -- but by a code so complex that if released would cripple U.S. intelligence." Susan's subsequent attempt to decipher what is happening keeps the readers wanting more. The story is exciting and keeps you reading until the very end. It also raises many questions about the questions of government surveillance and the privacy of e-mail and other technological communications. Rating: ★★★★