 Defending your Commlink, (or, how to build a minefield) |
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 Feb 28 2006, 10:17 AM
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#26
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Grand Master of Run-Fu  Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178  |
Another trick that I noticed when I read that page: what about jamming your own shadow commlink? You're cut off from the Matrix, but not your PAN.
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Feb 28 2006, 10:23 AM
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#27
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
As the Jammer happens to be strongest in effect at the center, that would certainly kill your PAN first (Signal 0).
Using Skinlink and turning Wireless off is a better idea - one that doesnt get you busted (Jammers are highly illegal, as in the World of SR4, Electronic Warfare has a whole new meaning), too. ;) |
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Feb 28 2006, 03:49 PM
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#28
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 327 Joined: 28-January 06 Member No.: 8,209 |
Most jammers work by interfering with the signal, not eliminating it; for example, a cell phone jammer functions by sending radio waves out on the same frequencies that cell phones use, and the interference makes the devices not work. They still send and receive signals; they're just meaningless. My point being... If there's a jammer in the area, the PAN will still send and receive signals; the only question is whether or not the signals are meaningful. However, if you KNOW what the jammer's doing (know its frequency, oscilattion rate, etcetera) then you can filter it out, and be completely unaffected. So if you're jamming yourself, and you're smart about it, your own network won't be affected. At worst, you could say that all devices inside the radius need a "decrypt" program running, but I'd say even that wouldn't be necessary. No electronics warfare test needed. On the other hand, jammers are by necessity active devices, for wireless networks; thus, the jammer would be easily detectable inside its range. |
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Feb 28 2006, 03:59 PM
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#29
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Sure, complete destructive interference is so much harder to obtain than simple white noise.
Thats what the ECCM Program is for. :) Just, at some point, better hardware becomes necessary - hardware, that, most of the time, isn't build into consumer devices. PS: My post referred to SR4 ruling, not communications engineering. ;) |
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Feb 28 2006, 04:12 PM
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#30
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,635 Joined: 27-November 05 Member No.: 8,006 |
That could be true if the peaks created by the noise pushed the signal at a given point offscale for the range of the device. But if the communication also went the other way, commlink to jammer, that could be avoided. The main problem though is the need to communicate between the jammer and all the devices that want to talk to each other. Meaning they'd all need to be wired up via optic or skinlink, at which point why are you bothering with wireless? You could get around that by having a fixed schedule for the jammer signals, either a table or a seeded psuedo-random formula, loaded into the jammer and all the devices that you want to talk to each other. Effectively Encrypting the air. If a player suggested that to me as a GM my response would be along the lines of tossing a pizza crust at them and saying "shutup and play the game, geek". :) |
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Feb 28 2006, 04:35 PM
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#31
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
You could create a wireless 'servo loop' - as soon as the jammer doesn't get any valid data from the allowed devices, it cuts back... But, that would result in something harder and heavier than a pizza crust, I suppose. ;) Nevertheless, though such setups are possible to achieve with the rules, they tend to make you a beacon of white noise... which will certainly result in bad things happening to you. |
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Feb 28 2006, 04:43 PM
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#32
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,635 Joined: 27-November 05 Member No.: 8,006 |
The result would be a good thing, they would gain exciting stories to swap with their cellmates. A bad thing is the GM spending time drafting up NPC stats for a SWAT team without getting an oppotunity to use them. :cyber:
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Feb 28 2006, 04:53 PM
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#33
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 327 Joined: 28-January 06 Member No.: 8,209 |
A GM with a spec-ops or SWAT team, sitting on paper and waiting, is bad. very bad. They shouldn't just have people like that sitting around. Such a thing is a source of fear... At least for me. :-P |
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Feb 28 2006, 04:59 PM
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#34
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,635 Joined: 27-November 05 Member No.: 8,006 |
Yes, they shouldn't be sitting there. They should be in action. :D What you as a player should really fear is the inpromptu SWAT team that the GM feels compelled to use in response to some C.L.U.E File worthy action by a member of your team. At least the prebuilt NPCs will have a thought out and hopefully understood power scale and real game rules legal stats. It is hard as hell to survive a brush with an Adept whose main, if not sole strength is multiple levels in the Plot Device power. :( |
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Feb 28 2006, 05:03 PM
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#35
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,148 Joined: 27-February 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,314 |
If I'm reading the rules right, if your commlink is running in hidden mode, it's a Scan + EW test with a threshhold of 15 or more to find it, unless there's a good reason for someone to scan for a hidden node on you particularly, in which case it's 4 (which is still relatively high). For example, if I'm casing a target facility, and I see a turret hidden in a tree, it's a safe bet that it's wirelessly connected to a node somewhere in hidden mode; I need to make a Scan + EW roll and get at least four hits. I know it's there (or at least I strongly suspect it), but my commlink doesn't until I find it.
It might be noted that this roll is a straight-up test, not an Extended test, so you either find it or you don't. Given that, it might just be safe enough to have a second commlink that you use like a standard commercial commlink just like every other person in the civilized Unwired World does. There's no reason to think that your "business" commlink is even there, since it's obvious that you're already using one. As far as what program(s) you should be running in a node, consider what the program you least want your target to have when hacking other nodes. I'm not real worried about IC or even Black Hammer or Blackout. I'm most worried about Analyze. After all, they can't attack me if they don't know I'm there. It follows, then, that Analyze is the most important anti-hacking program you can have. It's pretty good at catching on-the-fly hacking attempts. If you like, run an IC (agent) along with it and tell it to constantly scan for unfamiliar icons. Run an Attack or Black* program in there too for you and your agent to use if it comes to it. But really, once your PAN (which is, after all, a node) goes on alert, just reach down and reboot it. If you're a technomancer, make sure you know a nice Analyze Complex Form, and be prepared to unleash spooky doom and sprites on anything that sets your system on alert. By the same token, if you're worried about probing, just reboot your commlink every hour or so. Technomancers, sorry; I can't think of anything for you on this one. But at least if you are a technomancer, you're not storing anything important in your head. Of course, the security measures would be completely different for a node or series of nodes at a static facility, data center, corporation, and the like. But a commlink is something that you carry with you pretty much 24/7 (or have implanted into you), and that makes security a lot easier. This all changes in combat, but then most things do. Usually, it takes too long to hack into an enemy node and start playing with their stuff (since you need security or admin access to do most of the fun stuff), so mostly you'll probably be running EW, making sure the enemy doesn't call for back-up, and defending your teammates against enemy hackers/technomancers trying to do things like shut off their cyber arms (something I managed to do in my last run; I was thinking of beating him with them, but my hacker has no Unarmed skill, and didn't have Command loaded anyway, and zero dice is a very small pool). So if you're in a fight in the real world, basically be ready for on in the Matrix as well. In conclusion: good grief, this has gone way too long. Ciao. |
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Feb 28 2006, 07:57 PM
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#36
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
Okay, color me confused. I thought, based on what you posted earlier, that if you were running a network, you automatically had wifi enabled, even if you were skinlinked? Could you clarify for me? |
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Feb 28 2006, 08:42 PM
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#37
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 327 Joined: 28-January 06 Member No.: 8,209 |
You can turn wifi off if you want. On some devices, it may amount to disassembling the transmitter, but it's certainly possible. It's just occasionally conspicuous. |
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Feb 28 2006, 08:44 PM
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#38
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Sorry if I lacked further explanation:
Hidden Mode means that WiFi still is enabled, just not broadcasting its presence, hiding instead. So when you asked about running in Hidden Mode and using Skinlink, I pointed out that even Hidden Mode allows hacking your comlink wirelessly. Turning it off solves that problem, but cuts your real comlink off from the rest of the matrix, naturally. |
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Feb 28 2006, 09:48 PM
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#39
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
The benefit you'd get running a Hidden/Skinlink combo is that not only is your commlink hard to find, none of the devices you're packing around have a wireless signal, either (if they're wifi-disabled and skinlinked). This means that, among other things, a random sweep of the area doesn't turn up that nice smartgun signal coming out of your armpit, and makes it impossible to wifi-spoof to a particular device, bypassing the commlink entirely. If you made the wireless functionality of the Hidden/Skinlink combo toggleable, you could shrink the access points of your PAN down to things that you're touching, making it nearly unhackable.
Nearly? Yeah. You know what you have to worry about now? Handshakes. "Dimitri stands up, crosses the room, and clasps your hand in a vigorous handshake. 'Ah, my friend, I am so happy to be seeing you again. I heard about your difficulties, and immediately felt concern, both for your person, and for our joint business venture. But I see my concerns were for nothing! You are well, yes? Yes, I see you are... haha, nothing can hurt you, my invincible friend! You dance between bullets like a butterfly dances between raindrops. Come, sit, we shall drink to your health and talk as men do of more opportunities!' With that, he releases your hand and leads you to a table in the back of the restaurant, already covered in steaming dishes of food." Dimitri's little bit there, spoken in a bad Russian accent, is about 30 seconds long... or 10 turns, if you prefer. Dimitri's running a skinlink, too, wired to his commlink, which is talking over wifi to his buddy Skizzy in the next room, who's running hot sim VR and just waiting for that handshake. That handshake is piggybacking a hacker right into your skinlink network, and he's got about 30 initiative passes of screwing around with your commlink before that handshake ends. You think that's bad? How about some of those "fly on the wall" drones serving as signal carriers? If you can get one to land on a character without being noticed (say, the back of the collar of their jacket, or some place similar), it can patch into their skinlink network, and suddenly you're broadcasting wifi without even realizing it. PCs can pull these stunts too, of course. It's just my job as a GM to keep 'em paranoid. :vegm: |
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Feb 28 2006, 10:02 PM
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#40
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Bushido Cowgirl Group: Members Posts: 5,782 Joined: 8-July 05 From: On the Double K Ranch a half day's ride out of Phlogiston Flats Member No.: 7,490 |
Interesting, very interesting. Something to think about before running my next session. I love surprises. |
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Mar 1 2006, 12:23 AM
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#41
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,556 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Seattle Member No.: 98 |
You know what else is fun? Seats rigged to connect to skinlinks, "Stick'n'talk" shotgun shells (like the fly landing on the shoulder, but with more oomph... tap his comms and see who he calls if he starts getting shot at!), opposing security running hardcore jamming on all frequencies but the ones they're hopping to... EW is stupidly fun in SR4.
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Mar 1 2006, 01:19 PM
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#42
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,925 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 948 |
Hmm, databombs can be added to FILES and/or DEVICES.
Ok, Devices are simple, but what would constitute as a file? Would the active subscription list on a running commlink be classified as a file? It isn’t a program. Would be a nice defense against snoopers trying to hack your gear. What would be a file: Subscription List Commlink ID (Well, if they can identify your unique device ID they must get it from somewhere) Certified Credstick ID (there would be some kind of ID file in the device) Well folks, fill in the blanks… |
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Mar 1 2006, 01:23 PM
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#43
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 934 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Earth - Europe - AGS - Norddeutscher Bund - Hannover Member No.: 7,624 |
I am under the impression, that the term file in SR does not mean the same as in reality. Not everything accessible in a commlink does necessarily have to be a file. My guessing is that none of the things you mentioned can be trapped with a data bomb.
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Mar 1 2006, 01:34 PM
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#44
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,486 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Michigan Member No.: 7,180 |
I think a subscription list could.
Your commlink ID is like your IP address, it might be stored in a file somewhere, but that's not how the other person gets it. Also, by the time they're in your commlink to be looking at the file, they already know it. As for your credstick ID, see above, but that also wouldn't be stored on your commlink - that would be stored on the credstick. Your commlink might have bank account information if you have a bank account tied to a SIN, or some off-shore account somewhere - and THAT could probably be databombed. |
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Mar 1 2006, 05:24 PM
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#45
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Grand Master of Run-Fu Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 6,840 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Tir Tairngire Member No.: 178 |
Does a commlink count as a device for this purpose? ;) |
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Mar 1 2006, 05:34 PM
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#46
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,635 Joined: 27-November 05 Member No.: 8,006 |
Only a link to the commlink in another node. At the commlink level the Databomb equivalent is called IC.
@Blackhat Data bombs can be attached to icon that is also protected by Scramble or Encrypt, so at the least you could attach a Databomb to each individual item in the subscription list. |
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Mar 1 2006, 11:43 PM
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#47
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Sure. |
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Mar 2 2006, 12:05 AM
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#48
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
crack the encryption, hack the firewall and then boom, you tripped the databomb.
one thing is for sure, im going to define my comlink metaphor after a clown-mobile :silly: |
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Mar 2 2006, 07:56 AM
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#49
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,925 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 948 |
Nope, the commlink is a device so it can be databombed. IC is more or less a defensive agent loaded with programs while a databomb is an automatic successful attack unless disarmed. |
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