 Encryption - making it useful. |
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 Dec 29 2006, 01:33 PM
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#1
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Runner  Group: Members Posts: 2,925 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 948  |
Since I don’t really know squat about encryption and decryption I’ve just basically pulled this idea out of my ass.
Instead of having these dicerolls for decryption we simple use a deduction in dicepool. Anyone running an Encryption program for a given task (Encryption: Device for example) would incur a dicepool penalty to the attacker (Hacking on the fly in this case) unless they have a Decryption program running that can counter the Encryption. This way we keep it simple and a possible dicepool penalty can make tasks take a long time or become downright hard. Someone running Decrypt 4 against a nodes Encryption 6 would have a -2DP penalty for all tests done within that node. I see encryption in 2070 as something that changes constantly with encryption programs switching algorithms every few cycles/IP/Minutes etc. What do you think? |
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Dec 29 2006, 02:43 PM
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#2
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
Meh, the thing is that breaking encryption is either all or nothing. You either haven't broken it yet, and you can do nothing, or you've broken it and it's gone. There isn't really a middleground, and that, at least, is fairly realistic and correct.
Your suggestion may well be simpler, but it makes SR encryption drift even further away from reality. |
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Dec 29 2006, 02:50 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 124 Joined: 23-December 02 Member No.: 3,782 |
Encryption is meant to make the hacker spend more time in a given situation. Therefore there is more chances for a IC or security hacker to wander by and notice them.
In the real world encryption follows this model. The time and effort required to decrypt the information (via hacking) should make it so that by the time its broken the data isnt usefull. Although 'unbreakable' encryption is possible in SR4, its not 'in the spirit of the game' to make brick walls your players are impossible at solving. You want to tie their hands long enough that they might get noticed and send the system on alert. ---------------- The big thing with encryption is. If you have it constantly changeing every few min. Then it might be hard for REAL USERS who need that data to access it. Thats the balance of it. Legit users should not have to jump hoops to do their work, but at the same time make it harder for hackers. |
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Dec 29 2006, 03:05 PM
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#4
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,925 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 948 |
Well, I would assume that those with correct clearance to sensitive information or to encrypted systems would have legal access to it through codes etc. Otherwise they might just run their own “legal” decryption program or something similar. My idea was that a reduction in dicepool would make hacking in SR4 take longer than the 2-3 combat turns it takes now. A -2D6 to a dicepool for a probing the target in AR could take 2-3 days longer since the character looses a total of 2D6/day for the test. |
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Dec 29 2006, 05:41 PM
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#5
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 5,537 Joined: 27-August 06 From: Albuquerque NM Member No.: 9,234 |
Sometimes the answer is to go find someone with the key to the door instead of again bodily throwing yourself into the wall in the hopes that it might break. |
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Dec 29 2006, 06:16 PM
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#6
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Old Man Jones Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 4,415 Joined: 26-February 02 From: New York Member No.: 1,699 |
Indeed. Like having to find the guy who encoded the paydata with his personal cipher, because no computer in the world can crack a sufficiently complex one of those.
There's no such thing as an decryption algorithm that can tell you the word "cat" means "hidden drop point on 33rd and Main". You have to find the guy who made up the code or at least his codebook. Which could be a run in and of itself. -karma |
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