Encryption, can someone point me to the rules on this? Options

[Rand]

As the title says, I would like to know the page numbers of where it gives the encryption rules, such as TN and how you go about breaking it. Thanks.

[Johnny B. Good]

The rules on encryption are screwy. The book redirects you like three times.

Engrypting: Make an Encryption + EW roll, hits x2 determines threshhold. You can encrypt almost anything. Nodes, subnodes, programs, access logs, databombs, icons.

Decryption: Make an extended Decrypt + EW roll, interval one IP. Once you hit the threshold, you have the decryption key.

[sabs]

Basically:
Assuming you have a hacker and a sys admin.

Sys Admin
EW 5
Encryption: 8
Math SPU, encephalon 2, Hot VR, Optimised Encryption.
Dice Pool 19:
Net Hits: 5-6 (max of 19)
Threshold of 10 to 12 (potential max of 38)


Hacker:
EW: 5
Encryption: 6
Math SPU, Encephalon 2, Hot Vr, Optimised Decryption
Dice Pool: 17
Net hits: 4-6
So the roughly best encryption in the world is going to take a hacker anywhere from 2 ip, to 9 ip.
3 combat rounds at the very most, assuming some amazingly lucky encryption.
That's some crazy speedy decrypting.

And fo course the Technomancer is rolling closer to 25 dice for the test. And so he's chewing through UV encryptions in a heartbeat.

[hobgoblin]

i assume the book is SR4a. the actions are described on page 229 if you want to apply the encrypt program described on page 233, or decrypt something by way of a previously acquired key.

if you have no such key, there is the initiate cryptoanalysis action on page 230, using the decrypt program on page 233 (note that if you have the key you dont need to perform this action to gain access. key can be acquired in a number of ways, with at least one involving a love troll).

there are expanded encryption rules on page 65 and 66 of unwired.

[CanRay]

(...key can be acquired in a number of ways, with at least one involving a love troll).

This also works for passcodes, voice prints, retnal scans, fingerprints, and severe psycological damage.

[hobgoblin]

This also works for passcodes, voice prints, retnal scans, fingerprints, and severe psycological damage.

"i'm bubba, and i approve this message"

[Traul]

Engrypting: Make an Encryption + EW roll, hits x2 determines threshhold. You can encrypt almost anything. Nodes, subnodes, programs, access logs, databombs, icons.

Where do you get that from? I don't see any roll for encrypting, and Unwired states that the enryption rating is usually the Encrypt program rating.

[Johnny B. Good]

Where do you get that from? I don't see any roll for encrypting, and Unwired states that the enryption rating is usually the Encrypt program rating.

Maybe I was wrong, I don't have my books with me. Will check when I get home.

Either way, Encryption is still really weak, unless you have an agent running a dynamic encryption.

[sabs]

from the book

You have your Decrypt program start working on an encryption to
which you have access. Cryptanalysis is an Electronic Warfare +
Decrypt (encryption rating x 2, 1 Combat Turn) Extended Test.

Which means btw, that SiN info stored on your commlink. You need 10 hits on a decrypt to get access to it. /woo/

[Traul]

from the book

That's the cryptananalysis roll. It does not describe what the encryption rating is (and since they had to put it in Unwired, I am afraid this cannot be found anywhere in the core book).

[sabs]

From Unwired
pg# 65

All encryption has a rating, which is used to determine how
difficult it is to break. The higher the rating, the better the encryption.
Usually, the rating of the Encrypt program used is the
rating of the encryption.

Dynamic Encryption:

The user makes an Opposed
Computer + Encrypt Test against the attacker’s Electronic Warfare
+ Decrypt; for every net hit on this test, the threshold for the attacker’s
attempt to break the encryption is increased by one. This
requires a Complex Action.

Strong encryption lets you up the interval by the amount of time you spent encrypting, max 1 day.

I think it's pretty clear that the Encryption rating is = to the Rating of the Encryption program used to encrypt it.

[hobgoblin]

so a agent performing dynamic encryption, one will continually add to the threshold the attacker is attempting to reach.

i could see that being popular for corps and such, if only they didnt need to spot the attacker first via matrix perception (a mechanic i am unsure how works for automated defenses. Can one spot a hackers persona while he is trying to decrypt some data traffic for instance?).

[sabs]

Only if you make a non-extended matrix perception test, with the threshhold being the Stealth Program Rating.

[hobgoblin]

that do still not answer my question, as the person doing the decryption would not be present in any node my persona is present in, but rather in one that the traffic between my home node (comlnk usually) and whatever i am exchanging data with passes through.

from what i can tell there are only two groups of personas i can spot, the ones that are within direct radio range with my comlink (ARO) or those that have a persona present in whatever node(s) i am currently accessing.

and given that, i would say the times one can successfully deploy dynamic encryption (or spoof, as it to relies on first using matrix perception on something that can communicate with the target of the spoof action) are more limited then one first get the impression of.

seriously, i really like the matrix rules in SR4 for its more flexible nature (and its AR), but the conditions for use on some of its more interesting abilities have apparently not been fully contemplated.

[Yerameyahu]

I don't really see why you couldn't use Dynamic Encryption wherever you are. You just rotate things, you're not interacting with the decrypter.

[hobgoblin]

read the requirements in unwired, its specifies that to use dynamic encryption one first need to use matrix perception successfully on the persona performing the decryption before one can initiate dynamic encryption.

[Yerameyahu]

No, no, I don't mean RAW. I mean, 'how you should use it in your game if you want'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[hobgoblin]

while true, it kinda defeats the reason to discuss rules in the first place (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Yerameyahu]

Psh. We constantly discuss RAW and house rules in the same threads here. I thought it was clear that I wasn't making a claim about RAW, but I'm glad someone pointed out that it wasn't. I wouldn't want to confuse anyone.

[Rand]

The reason why I am asking is because I want to see if using the more complicated encryption (longer intervals) is really game breaking? As I reason it now, I don't think so. I have been trying to make the game faster at the table, but slower in-game because I think it is rediculous that response time is really un important - if they aren't there, then they won't be. You know what I mean?

[Malachi]

Only if you make a non-extended matrix perception test, with the threshhold being the Stealth Program Rating.

Not quite. It's actually an Opposed Test: Computer + Analyze vs. Hacking + Stealth (SR4A p. 228).

[Yerameyahu]

Well, that's why there are optional rules. SR4 intentionally has weak crypto, but you can strong it up. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[kzt]

The reason why I am asking is because I want to see if using the more complicated encryption (longer intervals) is really game breaking? As I reason it now, I don't think so. I have been trying to make the game faster at the table, but slower in-game because I think it is rediculous that response time is really un important - if they aren't there, then they won't be. You know what I mean?

My opinion is that the way SR handles encryption is extra dumb, and it clearly shows that which ever dufus wrote and approved the crypto rules has no idea what crypto does and why it needs to be effectively unbreakable for people to do important to the game things like buy stuff with electronic money. The only area where unbreakable decryption really hoses the players is encrypted files. If every file your hacker gets has unbreakable encryption on it really sucks. But since nobody actually carries around a little book full of thousands of random 43 character keys and manually enters the key every time they want to read any file, assume that the OS decrypts the file for the user automatically if the hacker is in as the user.

If someone wants to decrypt most anything else I'd suggest any of several other approaches, like Rubber-hose cryptanalysis, black bag jobs, stealing/hacking a poorly secured comlink, etc. All of which are a lot more interesting than the hacker rolling dice until he wins.

[Rand]

This is my idea:

•Harder Encryption: Increased intervals which depend upon the Encryption Rating (ER) and the decrypting System Rating (SR):
ER Interval
< Half SR 1 Combat Turn
> Half SR 1 Minute
= RS 5 Minutes
> RS 1 Hour

[Rand]

This is my idea:

•Harder Encryption: Increased intervals which depend upon the Encryption Rating (ER) and the decrypting System Rating (SR):
ER Interval
< Half SR 1 Combat Turn
> Half SR 1 Minute
= RS 5 Minutes
> RS 1 Hour