Drones, Drones, Drones,, Who has the Drones? Options

[Magus]

Hey all, I am currently creating a Drone Rigger for my local group. Like everyone else I am eagerly looking forward to Arsenal. Hoping that it clarifies a few things on upgrading Drones. ie Sensors. I have a couple of questions I cannot find answers for using Dumpshock's search function.

My main Combat Buddy is a Steel Lynx named the SSR (Stainless Steel Rat). His stats are stock: (Handling: 0 Accel: 15/40 Spd: 120 Pilot: 3 Body: 4 Armor: 9 Sensor: 3)

AutoSofts: Defense R3 Targeting (HW) R3 Maneuver R4 Clearsight R4 Electronic Warfare R3
Weapon: ArmTech MGL-12 (HE Grenades) with Internal Smart Link
Sensors: Camera (LowLite, Flare Comp, Therm UltraSound Vision Enhancement R3 Vision Mag) Motion Sensor, Microphone (Audio Enhancement R3 Spatial Recog) Radio Signal Scanner R6

My questions Can I upload an OS with a System rating and Firewall to add extra defense in being Hacked. This is a device/node and is vulnerable to hacking attempts. I have the programs ECCM and Databomb on my comlink as well as Encrypt and Command. I have this drone subscribed to me so that means that in order to Hack it I think you have to hack my comlink. Or do you? If not, can I load an OS to run an agent loaded with ECCM (For Counter Jamming with Electronic Warfare AutoSoft) DataBomb loaded somewhere to trap an unwary Hacker, behind a Firewall?

Thanks

[The Jopp]

You can upgrade Response and Firewall - System is equal to pilot so it's worth to invest in a Groundcraft Pilot program at rating 4. Firewall is not limited by either Response or System so max that one out to 6.

All programs are limited at rating 4 due to system. On the other hand, if you increase response to 5 then you can run 9 programs/autosofts without lowering response.

Suggested program loadout:
Autosoft (Groundcraft)
Autosoft (Weapon)
Autosoft (Defense)
Autosoft (Clearsight)
Encryption (Signal)
Encryption (Device)
Databomb (Device) (In this case the Steel Lynx commlink/node)

Secondary gear
Stealth RFID tag in case someone steals it.

[Magus]

So I can currently upgrade the software. The prices listed for the pilot programs are in the BBB. And I can put a Firewall and Response and run agents on the Drone. Excellent. Will the ECCM help if someone attempts to run a directional or omni directional jamming device correct?

[Lovesmasher]

I'm playing a non-rigging hacker, but I carry 6 micro drones with me for surveillance purposes, and to use as relays in case of hacker proofing.

2 Flyspys
2 iballs
2 Shiawase 4-legger doodlies

[Konsaki]

[Magus]

So where would you place the data bomb? What parameters would you set. these are the things my GM is asking me. I can see you would have encrypt/decrypt programs running on the Drones OS to speak/receive my commands via my comlink.

[The Jopp]

[Konsaki]

I think you are confused on what a Databomb is. A databomb is attached to a file and destroys the file and/or damages the icon that is trying to access the file without the proper clearance.

What you are talking about sounds like attaching a true physical bomb to your device that sets off on a certain condition, which can be bypassable if the hacker spoofs your Commcode, since you have to be cleared to access your own drone.

You cant attach a 'Databomb' to a physical piece of hardware, since hardware isnt data.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Yeah - a data bomb isen't an actual pellet of C12, that would be a bomb bomb.

If you're paranoid about being hacked and your drones taken over, here's what you do. Carry a secondary piece of equipment on your person - it dosen't have to be a comlink. In fact, it's better if it isen't. It just needs to be a radio transmitter. It should transmit a very specific, easily-identifiable radio frequency code. You drone should be programmed such that if it does not recieve this code - or if it picks up this code from more than one source - it will automatically assume that there's a hacking attempt in progress or that has automatically succeeded. In this case, it goes into ignore mode, assumes that your comlink is hostile, and returns to you with explicit orders to defend you and follow you.

Program it to recognize visual signals and/or give it external microphone pickups so it can recognize audio signals, and you can order it about manually - it will be clumsier than AR commands, but it'll get the job done. For example, "Cover there!" will point the drone's gun in a direction and have it shoot anyone it sees. "Return" will call it to you, and "Get in" will make it get into the van, and so forth and so on.

Program it to recognize you and your companions visually, as well, so it won't fire on them. Don't skimp on the rating of the program doing the visual recognition, either.

[starkebn]

As a GM I prefer that secondary, player set up 'tricks' for anti-hacking protection just don't work. I guess I'm more of the 'less realism more cinematic action' school but what is the point of having a hacking / spoofing mechanic at all if you can just mumble something complicated to prevent 'bad things TM' happening.

If the players can set up all their hardware to be practically unhackable then I would disallow them from ever hacking other hardware too and then you might as well not have matrix / hacking available in the world at all.

I will concede that there are probably some simple fallbacks you could set up, and I would take those on a case by case basis and determine if they're just there to bypass mechanics, but once someone starts spoofing the admin account on the drone I don't think it should be able to tell that that command was not legit.

[Serbitar]

Very well spoken starkebn.

[ShadowDragon8685]

Starkebn: No. But it can tell that the authorization carrier has gone dead - or worse, been copied and spoofed as well. That triggers hard-coded responses that tell it to ignore every wireless command, because it assumes that it's owner's comlink has been compromised.

It's a trick of very limited utility for most remote rigging operations, but when you have an armed drone supporting the team in very real time, physical operations, it serves as a useful countermeasure. If the rigger realizes he's lost control of his drone, he turns off his authorization transmitter, and that puts his drone in Pokemon mode until he resets it's hardware trigger.

[starkebn]

I would imagine that spoofing commands to the drone spoofs all required rights - basically you have an admin account saying to the drone "I am legit - obey me no matter what else - forget all previous programming that would override my commands - now do this"

This then overrides your 'trick'.

Or - if I was to allow your idea it would in a ' force shutdown until you are physically rebooted - close down all wireless comms' manner. Being able to continue using the drone in what you say is a limited way is not very limited in my opinion.

[kigmatzomat]

I might allow that but it would require significant skills and lots of time to either hack the OS portion of the Pilot to allow a "conscience" or to splice in a secondary CPU with it's own monitoring OS.

[Magus]

So basically for game balance per the general consensus is to Upgrade the PILOT and the FIREWALL ratings with maybe an agent running analyze and with some combat programing to safegaurd the drone itself from being hacked. But there is nothing other than my encryption to safegaurd a spoofed command. What ever happened to the old electronic warfare MIJI style? sigh.

[Konsaki]

Also, remember that the pilot is an OS and cant use the attack program to defend itself, you need an agent running on the drone with an attack program active.

[Rotbart van Dain...]

[Rotbart van Dain...]

[ShadowDragon8685]

[Konsaki]

I could see physical mask or the physical illusion spell making your drone very confused at that point...

[ShadowDragon8685]

[starkebn]

[Oracle]

Professional experience with RL computer security tells me that complex security setups just offer more possibilities to exploit them. I'd possibly give the hacker a modifier for trying to access such a system, but that's all about it. Hacking means finding ways around security.

[Konsaki]

[Lovesmasher]

Exploit goes around all security measures. That's what it does. It doesn't matter how many extra measures or secret plans you put into effect. Exploit, by it's nature, is designed to avoid it all.