Nigel pulled an all-nighter scanning his network for vulnerabilities. He did find an exploit on the router that his Internet Service Provider (ISP) managed. Nigel tried to patch it, but wasn’t able to directly manage it.

“Hello, ISP Systems Technical Support. This is Marcy. How can I help?”

“Ah, hello. This is Nigel Watson calling.”

“I see that you are an authorized caller, Mr. Watson. How can I help?”

“I found a major vulnerability related to your router and want to request a patch.”

“Let me check.” Marcy typed. “According to my records, your router’s firmware is the most up-to-date version.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“No, it’s not!” Nigel demanded.“The X11R has a major flaw that allows attackers to remotely control any system on the network. It was only discovered last week! Please check again.”

“Our system is updated each Sunday. It’s possible that I don’t have the same information. I suggest that you call back on Monday,” Marcy said.

“That is days from now. I need to protect my network,” Nigel said.

Marcy didn’t have anything helpful to say. Nigel slammed the phone shut in frustration. How can a provider of internet service have such antiquated systems?

Nigel woke up exhausted. As he walked downstairs looking for breakfast, he hoped his mother would be in a better mood.

His mother was crouched over the kitchen table, surrounded by jewelry, hands covering her face.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Nigel asked.

“No, Nigel. It’s my day off, and I need to visit the pawn shop.”

“I will give you the money,” Nigel insisted.

Ellen took Nigel’s hand and wept.

“Thank you, Son.”