 Comlink Quandries, How far is too far? |
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 May 30 2007, 07:04 AM
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#26
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Immortal Elf  Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670  |
best i can tell, a commlink is basically like a computer without a keyboard. you want to type on your computer, you need some sort of interface--AR gloves, trodes, datajack, whatever. it lacks a monitor, too; you need contacts, glasses, a datajack, or whatever in order to see what you're doing.
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May 30 2007, 07:18 AM
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#27
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 380 Joined: 19-May 07 Member No.: 11,698 |
Shadowrun, SR4, Page 317
So, yes, they do come with both displays and keyboards. Not very good ones, but ones none the less. |
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May 30 2007, 08:21 AM
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#28
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 433 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Somewhere in Iraq Member No.: 1,789 |
The best option for a shadowrunner is a nice rated fake SIN (Rating 4 or better), or his/her real SIN, on a decent commlink set in passive mode with a black commcode and a black bank account. On pg. 259 (pg. 214 for black commcodes) of the BBB it states that black commcodes/bank accounts don't share their records with anyone, therefore no profile can be created.
I don't think your GPS location gets broadcasted unless requested by an authority. Maybe on a security wavelength that requires a particular passcode or something. The BBB on pg. 259 states "For privacy reasons this information is usually not broadcast as part of their personal profile for social networking, though some high-security areas may require that key information (particularly name & SIN) to be broadcast." It also says that varied info (licenses, permits, etc.) can be transmitted (encryption level 5) on an as needed basis with authorization from the user. Also says you can broadcast it at a lower Signal, through LOS laserbeam or even physical jackpoint. You can use certified credsticks to purchase anything normally available to be purchased by a commlink. Commlinks just make it easier because you can pick up the product, have your commlink scan it and auto-deduct the price from your bank account and walk out of the store without even having to mess with a cashier. However, some places, probably the richie rich places of the Sixth World, wouldn't let you into the store without a particular balance on your commlink, say like 100k or more, and definitely wouldn't let you in with a certified credstick (That's soooooo lower class). I'm making this assumption based on a A and below rated area. For AA and up or restricted areas I'm sure they require passive if not active mode (the BBB states this on pg. 259). I don't find it hard to believe someone could have their commlink off, or not on them, and go down to the local Stuffer Shack, buy some soyslurpies with a credstick and go home without being hassled by the cops if they appeared to belong and didn't cause any trouble. Your SIN contains your biometric data so you'd only have to get your thumb or retina scanned and any cop would know who you are in a few minutes. |
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May 30 2007, 10:34 AM
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#29
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
Just a word on the active vs. passive modes. I think it's clear from the book that most people want to be on Active mode. They are deliberately and enthusiastically broadcasting interests, opinions, sexual preferences, music tastes, friend lists and more. This is not the MySpace generation, it is the MySpace generatation + 1. I think someone who wasn't broadcasting personal profiles might well be considered a creepy stalker or a paranoid recluse by a lot of people. This is a generation that grew up believing the idea that if you haven't got anything to hide then why would you care about privacy? They are the post-PATRIOT, post-Blair, ultimate consumers. I see the following conversation:
After all, I seem to be one of the few that cares about Gmail scanning my emails so it can target me with ads. The next generation of this behavour could be far more intrusive. The Shadowrunner could really stand out if not careful. |
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May 30 2007, 11:55 AM
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#30
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,148 Joined: 27-February 06 From: UCAS Member No.: 8,314 |
Yes. |
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May 30 2007, 01:52 PM
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#31
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
While I am writing this post, I'm able to access my bank account and pay my bills online. I can not only do this from this particular computer, but I can do this from a completely different computer! It's amazing, but my ability to spend money online isn't tied to a particular computer, but whether I can remember my account numbers and codes! Amazing! Any computer at all! Wow! :eek:
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May 30 2007, 04:44 PM
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#32
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: 13-July 06 From: Long Beach Sacrifice Zone Member No.: 8,885 |
Yes, but currently you can achieve decent security with 8-16 character passwords if you change them monthly, don't use simple words, etc. In the future, computing power is such that the hackers could easily crack open bank accounts with such 'primitive' measures. So while you're right that as of right now the technology supports that position, it doesn't mean future technology won't change that drastically. |
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May 30 2007, 05:47 PM
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#33
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
I do not believe encryption influences the principles of third party authentication, |
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May 30 2007, 06:13 PM
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#34
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Cybernetic Blood Mage Group: Members Posts: 3,472 Joined: 11-March 06 From: Northeastern Wyoming Member No.: 8,361 |
Although I agree 105% with your conclusion, I feel that it needs pointed out that 9-11, Bush/Blair, ect never happened in Shadowrun. A nitpick to be sure, but an important one in my opinion. |
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May 30 2007, 06:15 PM
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#35
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
eh? how does it not? |
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May 30 2007, 06:33 PM
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#36
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
Either we can encrypt reasonably to make basic communications and fiscal services worthwhile to use with a commlink, or we might as well not have one. Whatever the real world or game mechanics are for commlinks and encryption doesn't take away from my opinion that commlink != SIN. |
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May 30 2007, 06:37 PM
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#37
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
oh, oh, you're saying that the lack of strong encryption in SR doesn't, for some inexplicable reason, affect how people in SR handle authentication.
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May 30 2007, 09:19 PM
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#38
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 192 Joined: 13-July 06 From: Long Beach Sacrifice Zone Member No.: 8,885 |
My only counterpoint to the whole encryption question was when, in the history portion of the Shadowrun universe, they mentioned that a decker in the matrix could hack old world systems with ease.
As far as encryption goes, we have to imagine that a 'best blend' between speed and encryption has been found for most financial transactions. Too much encryption slows the process down, and too little leaves your records vulnerable. But that's the key thing about Shadowrun, that most of the talent that COULD cause havok and chaos (with their ability to hack what's considered a 'secure' system by the average joe) is locked up under contract to a megacorp. So there's probably an unusual stalemate where hackers from corp A won't risk the wrath of Corp B (inciting reprisal) by hacking them. So they hire the runners, who need loopholes like this to even justify existing. If there was serious encryption, secure SINs, etc, this wouldn't be a lot of fun to play. |
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May 30 2007, 09:22 PM
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#39
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Genuine Artificial Intelligence Group: Members Posts: 4,019 Joined: 12-June 03 Member No.: 4,715 |
QFT. |
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May 30 2007, 10:52 PM
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#40
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
never mind, i cant read for some reason :(
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May 30 2007, 11:16 PM
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#41
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
i dont go around recalling long length, alphanumeric passwords to log into my bank. so, how does encryption affect that? as in, how do you know that the person in front of the computer is the owner of the account? the only thing encryption stops is the remote attack option. the hacker with the sniffer program sitting on some box and grabbing traffic. but even today there are large spam attacks that goes after the social engineering aspect. when people are computer tech illiterate today (harsh, but thats my very personal experience. and given the amount of similar views on the net, im not alone in having that), i dont see how SR will be any different with its VR and AR interfaces where you can interact with a virtual object as if it was real. the human element will always be the weakest one. basically people dont know what to look for to investigate if a site they interact with is the real deal or not. and it does not help that some people have managed to get digital certificates issued as if they where microsoft. people dont care, and dont want to care. the big issue for them is who takes the blame if something happens. there are people that hand out their office passwords for a bar of chocolate... think of encryption as a fence. as long as its so high it cant be climbed, its good enough. but when it can be climbed, you add active security, or in other words ICE. at that point, the fence become something thats supposed to slow the intruder down long enough that the active security can react to them. as for attacking someone bank account, why do so when one can have a credit card or loan issued as someone else. hell, its so simple at times that i think the card companies work with a expected fraud percentage or something rather then get into a arms race with the criminals. again its a question of who takes the blame and the loss. sure the punk on the corner can get away with one or two thefts. but of the pattern becomes repeated and the loss to the company becomes to great, they will roll out the security and track the person responsible down. as long as there have been other forms of payment being accepted then pieces of metal exchanged face to face, there have been identity theft and similar. a lack of encryption just means that your back to checks and similar in its ease of fraud. as in, write a check you know will not be covered, or one under a assumed name. get whatever it is your after, and get far away before the "problem" is spotted. |
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May 30 2007, 11:27 PM
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#42
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
hell, if your caught, you may get two options, a bullet to the head or come work for company x... if you can break the mousetrap your probably able to build a better one ;) hell, its the same with magic. most are trained on some official way, and often headhunted into a corp job the moment your done with the training. a character with hacking skill have spent just as many points as someone that have a equal level in say pistols. so if the latter may speak of a background in some security force or other trained environment, why cant the former be someone out of a trained environment with the same time and money spent on training by some entity? or is that street thought hacker such a ingrained in the psyche that we cant shake it? |
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May 31 2007, 01:02 AM
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#43
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 511 Joined: 24-March 05 From: On a ledge between Heaven and Hell Member No.: 7,226 |
Was wondering how LoneStar would react to the 'Dead Battery' ploy. Although this would involve carring a cheap COMM-Link with a near dead battery. |
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May 31 2007, 01:08 AM
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#44
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
"sorry, but given that its the primary form of accepted id, its expected that you make sure its charged every day..." |
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May 31 2007, 01:14 AM
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#45
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 511 Joined: 24-March 05 From: On a ledge between Heaven and Hell Member No.: 7,226 |
Euu. Why would I want to talk to such a person. I mean I totally can't even tell what her interests are. How would I even know what to talk about. Sure shes cute, but so what, she could be a total lesbo. Then I would have wasted my time, when it could have been better off talking to Janis over there. A single white elf female studying Biochemistry at UIUC looking for a one night stand with someone who is capable of a convincing impersonation of a popular Trid Star. |
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May 31 2007, 01:22 AM
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#46
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,159 Joined: 12-April 07 From: Ork Underground Member No.: 11,440 |
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: Keyboard KILL :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: |
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May 31 2007, 01:50 AM
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#47
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
welcome to the matrix(web)2.0 generation ;) |
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May 31 2007, 03:14 AM
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#48
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 500 Joined: 4-September 06 From: Salt Lake UT Member No.: 9,299 |
I have a question about the setting mechanics, its in two parts. Part A Your comlink broadcasts any of 3 profiles in public mode Right? Those profiles would be; *your social profile--(this is your myspace page) *Your Consumer profile--(bank info, credit rating, employment history, in addition to all of the information you'll give when you buy something from Holostreets) *Your Legal Profile--(your actual SIN number, other ID document numbers, Your license numbers, Social contracts; like titles, deeds, insurance numbers, registration numbers) My thoughts on exactly what these profiles contain and how they're accessed is in this thingy
All of that leads me to Part B of my question
What keeps unauthorized parties from snagging your SIN # out of thin air and using it? I feel like the actual SIN is less secure than the bank account info. Edit: Damnit I can't figure how to do the spoiler thing sorry |
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May 31 2007, 03:45 AM
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#49
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,159 Joined: 12-April 07 From: Ork Underground Member No.: 11,440 |
If they are contained on your personal comm link, then a hacker/TM can change them to whatever they wish. As porous as Matrix Security is in 4th ed, it will not be that hard.
If you can upgrade the abilities of a comm link, what it has about your profiles can be "upgraded" too. :D That is where a Fake SIN comes in, the information from the Fake SIN is in your comm links profile. Have multiple fake SINs? then you can multiple profiles in your comm link. As for you profiles being in an off the comm link database, again due to the porous nature of the Matrix, that too can be changed to match your fake SIN. Better not piss off a good hacker/TM your profile could have sex offender-pedafile added to it, makes sure security types give you the love you deserve. :D |
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May 31 2007, 04:17 AM
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#50
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
in real life, if encryption were so easily broken, you probably wouldn't be able to log onto your bank remotely with a simple password at all. you'd use something else--in SR, watcher spirits might work pretty well, with some thought and preparation. not nearly as widespread or easily-accessed, of course, but it'd be a workable solution for large money transfers--which would, in the end, be the only transfers that took place. i mean, going from quick, easy, electronic access to your funds to writing out physical checks? that's a pretty big change to authentication. |
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