Basic matrix questions Options

[yesferatu]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to build a cheat sheet for one of my hacker players and I am all screwed up.
I'd like a step by step explanation of how hacking works.

For example...
Hackdaddy is in a van trying to get his team into a house across the street.
1. Hack daddy needs to locate the House's node/nexus.
-Firstly, I know everything on the matrix has a node, but what determines if it is a nexus or a node?
-What skills and programs should Hackdaddy use to find the node?
-Is it a "Matrix Perception" test (Computer + Analyze) or should he be using Data Search or Electronic Warfare?
-Should he be using Analyze, Scan, Browse, Sniff?
-What will successes on that roll provide? Does it list every node in the area? What about hidden nodes?

I guess I'll just start there.
How does a hacker locate and interact with a node/nexus?

[Chance359]

Removed for being to simple.

[Yerameyahu]

A nexus *is* a node, and not a particularly special one.

If the node is 'Active Mode', then you automatically know it's there, and public info about it, because you can connect to the 'lobby'. Passive Mode means you still know it's there, but it doesn't accept connections (from you). Hidden Mode nodes have to be Scanned for, because they're online by hidden.

Matrix Perception can be used on nodes, files, etc., and gives you information about them (there's a list of example bits of info in SR4A). Net hits give you more bits.

Data Search is for searching for specific information, often across the Matrix or a specific Data Haven.

Scanning for Hidden Nodes (because all the others are automatically known, Free Action) is divided into two options: specific and general. A 'specific' scan is when you know there's a node 'right there' (e.g., under that guy's jacket), but it's Hidden or off (which you know because it's not Active or Passive). 'General' is if you scan the whole immediate area (*mutual* signal range) for Hidden nodes.

Specific: "To find the node, make a Electronic Warfare + Scan (4) Test."
General: "In this case, the test is an Electronic Warfare + Scan (15+, 1 Combat Turn) Extended Test, rather than a Complex Action."

[Karoline]

So, in your example, unless the person is very security conscious (most people aren't) the house node will be in passive mode, so can be instantly found by the hacker, no tests required.

To get into the node the hacker would have to roll extended Hacking + Exploit (Firewall) to get in, and the node gets to roll an extended Firewall + Analyze (Stealth) to detect the hacker.

Yera gave a good explanation of finding hidden nodes.

[yesferatu]

So if it's a public node, (somebody's house would normally show up right?) it wouldn't even require a roll?

Let's say there are 2 cars in the garage which are hidden nodes.
Hackdaddy, who can see them physically and knows they would have nodes, would roll a Electronic Warfare + Scan target 4?
Is the target always 4, or shouldn't it be the target's stealth program + firewall?

[Yerameyahu]

Always 4. The cars probably wouldn't be Hidden either, though. Very few things are, in 'normal' society. Cars, for example, need GridGuide.

Stealth + Firewall is the DP to defend against Matrix Perception.

[yesferatu]

Would you want to leave your car, or even your house, just swinging in the breeze waiting for a hacker to exploit it?

[Karoline]

The only time you're likely to have a node in hidden mode is if it is involved in something illegal. Most private nodes will be passive, or even active, and public nodes will be active.

[yesferatu]

Ok so...

Step 1. Locate node. Since it's probably public and passive, they shouldn't need a test.
If they believe there is a hidden node, they can search for it generally (Electronic Warfare + Scan (15+, 1 Combat Turn) or specifically (Electronic Warfare + Scan (4) Test)?

What is step 2?

[Yerameyahu]

Depends. There's Matrix Perception to find out what the node is, if it's the one you're looking for, etc. This is important, because there could be plenty of nodes found, and you can 't tell them apart. It's sort of like the Wifi list on your laptop: plenty of nodes with funny names/serial numbers/whatever. (Aside: *technically*, Active and Passive are like that wifi list, and Hidden is if the router's SSID broadcast is disabled).

Then you can try to log in. Hidden means it's not accepting connections from you, so that's hacking.

[yesferatu]

So step 1 would be a Matrix Perception test to determine if the node you're looking at is the right one?

[Yerameyahu]

I think so, yes. You'd look silly if you hacked into the wrong place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) This is actually Step *2* if the node was Hidden, because you had to find it first.

In the case of a house, the node is probably Passive (i.e., Wifi with a Password and/or MAC control list). With Passive mode, the node *may* be configured to identify itself already. Continuing with the analogy, this is like a wifi setup with an SSID of 'Bob's Wifi' or '221 B Baker St.'… or, god forbid, 'NETGEAR'.

[etherial]

I think so, yes. You'd look silly if you hacked into the wrong place. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) This is actually Step *2* if the node was Hidden, because you had to find it first.

In the case of a house, the node is probably Passive (i.e., Wifi with a Password and/or MAC control list). With Passive mode, the node *may* be configured to identify itself already. Continuing with the analogy, this is like a wifi setup with an SSID of 'Bob's Wifi' or '221 B Baker St.'… or, god forbid, 'NETGEAR'.

Another reason for the Matrix Perception test is that there are probably multiple Nodes in that house: home appliances, commlinks, cyberware, etc. in addition to the main home telecom that's going to be the one connecting to the Matrix.

So,
1: Roll Electronic Warfare + Scan (15+, 1 Combat Turn) to search for Hidden Nodes.
2: Analyze Nodes until you find the one you're looking for: Computer + Analyze vs. Firewall + Stealth. This should give you several pieces of data from the table on p. 228 of SR4A.

Programs used so far: Analyze, Scan
Skills used so far: Computer, Electronic Warfare

There are now a couple of different ways to log onto the Node, depending on what your Hacker came to the house with: Spoofing commands from legitimate users, brute force Hacking your way into the Node, or Probing the Target for a security hole.

[Yerameyahu]

Those will almost (not the commlinks) all be Peripheral Nodes, though, and therefore almost certainly in Passive mode. The commlinks are likely in Active, or off. Obviously, there are always exceptions to these predictions, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[yesferatu]

Ok so...thus far...

Hackdaddy:
1. Locates the nodes in his area (Computer + Analyze) (or Electronic Warfare + Scan if the node he wants is hidden)
2. Identifies the node he wants (Computer + Analyze)
3. Decides to spoof the doors open, so he makes a (Computer + Analyze) or (Electronic Warfare + Sniffer) roll to obtain the correct id
4. He gets the correct ID and then spoofs a command (Hacking + Spoofing vs. System + Firewall) losing 3-6 dice depending on the access level.
5. If he gets a successes, the doors pop open. If not, the command is ignored.

Is that about right so far?

[Yerameyahu]

@ 1: It's actually an automatic 'System-based' Free action, not a Computer + Analyze test.
@ 3: What ID are you getting? Presumably, you want the commlink of the owner. Is that commlink present?

[etherial]

Those will almost (not the commlinks) all be Peripheral Nodes, though, and therefore almost certainly in Passive mode. The commlinks are likely in Active, or off. Obviously, there are always exceptions to these predictions, though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Yup. But there almost might be a drug lab in the basement, ninjas hiding in the attic, or (more likely) security drones for the local neighborhood. Besides, unless you know where in the house the main home telecom is, you might end up hacking said coffee maker.

[yesferatu]

1. Automatically finds all of the nodes in the area, the Computer + Analyze is to zero in on the desired node.
3. Any user ID with access to the node would do. So I'd imagine any wireless activity or any data trail on the matrix would do to capture any ID that have used that node recently.

[Karoline]

Wouldn't an active node tell you what it is without even needing a test? The matrix perception test (given that it is opposed by stealth) seems like it is needed for info that the node might not usually broadcast freely (like how good its firewall is). If you're looking at a list of public nodes, they should have some kind of basic data provided about them so that a normal (non-hacker) user can go "Oh, there is my washing machine." Otherwise a normal person would literally be unable to operate because they couldn't find their own nodes.

[etherial]

Ok so...thus far...

Hackdaddy:
1. Locates the nodes in his area (Computer + Analyze) (or Electronic Warfare + Scan if the node he wants is hidden)
2. Identifies the node he wants (Computer + Analyze)
3. Decides to spoof the doors open, so he makes a (Computer + Analyze) or (Electronic Warfare + Sniffer) roll to obtain the correct id
4. He gets the correct ID and then spoofs a command (Hacking + Spoofing vs. System + Firewall) losing 3-6 dice depending on the access level.
5. If he gets a successes, the doors pop open. If not, the command is ignored.

Is that about right so far?

Step 3 requires listening in on someone who already has access - Electronic Warfare + Sniffer (3). No commands to listen to = no user to Spoof. But there's still Hacking on the Fly and Probing the Target.

Assuming there *is* someone to Spoof, Steps 4 and 5 are dead on. This is a house, so you probably don't need a Security Account to open the door.

[yesferatu]

Couldn't you search the data trail for any users who have accessed the node?
Or does a user need to be logged in to sniff their user ID?

[Yerameyahu]

yesferatu, it's not like the 'data trail' just sits there in the ether. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Either you were there listening, or you hacked the node to *ask* it who'd used it recently.

Yes, active nodes are basically public web pages.

[yesferatu]

Actually...isn't the data trail just sitting there?
Doesn't every node keep a log of any IDs which have accessed them?
I thought that was the whole point of the stealth program and spoofing.
Isn't the idea to be able to issue commands and take control of systems without identifying yourself?

How do you get an authorized ID without catching that user in the act?

[Yerameyahu]

Just sitting *where*? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) Where is 'there'? You're Spoofing the node, you're not logged into it.

Technically, you can only Spoof Drones, Agents, and Peripheral Nodes, anyway. Not home terminals, commlinks, etc.

[yesferatu]

Well...if you're not logged into it, how do you get an authorized user's id?
Why wouldn't you be able to spoof a comlink?