CIP firewall

The CIP firewall was a system of software that protected the United States' major infrastructure systems from outside tampering. Telecommunications, power and water services, and air traffic control were among the systems that the firewall was built to shield. It was developed by a team of engineers at Homeland Security and designed primarily by Michael Latham.

Day 7
Tony Almeida, Masters, and Donnie Fox abducted Latham from his car and forced him to complete a module that would allow the firewall to be breached. This module was used to fire a "warning shot" to the U.S. government by hacking into air traffic communications and directing two planes at JFK International Airport into a near-collision.

David Emmerson delivered both Latham and this module to Nichols and former colonel Ike Dubaku, who planned to use the threat posed by the module to force President Allison Taylor to cancel the planned military intervention in Sangala.