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> Designing the security of an installation, GM Advice
Warlordtheft
post Jun 25 2010, 02:26 PM
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I'm kind of interested in how other GM's go about desigining the security of a site. To start off, below is kind of an outline for the thought process I use in designing the security of a location:

1. Determine the budget of security. There are two factors to consider, the value of the site or contents, and the budget/resources of the owner. A corporate warehouse containing bobble heads of their CEO probably has very little security, but one containing the prototype next generation McGuffin they spent a couple billion in development will have heavily augmented HTR teams on site, patrolling mages and a matrix system that is comparable to the ZO. Meanwhile a gangers hideout might have some electronic, no or limited magical defenses, but quite a few gangers.


• Physical: What physical security assets are there? How chromed up are the guards, what types of guards are there. Drones and mages may augment this as would trip wires, pressure plates and other physical security measures (not just cameras). Also, the topography can be used to make choke points, but this also should be considered in realtion to the site's purpose


• Magical: Wards and spirits: Where are they and what are they doing/capable of? The number of mages on site? Do they have back-up? Are they astral or not.

• For Matrix Defenses: What nodes are wired, what nodes are wireless. What does each node control. How much IC is located on each node. How many riggers are monitoring the drones—how much protection do they have. What back-up exists? How does the backup arrive? Finally, when do they pull the plug? Jammers/electronic warfare, what impact wills that have?



2. Determine the physical, matrix and magical security protocols for each site. Basically, how will they react to an intrusion?


• Physical: What physical security assets will do once intrusion is detected? Do they call for back up (determine the HTR response time). Will they try to eliminate the threat or contain it? Do they run when injured? Will the drones attack ASAP, while the guards contain the runners---think about their tactics.


• Magical: How will mundane assets react to mages (run, contain, eliminate)? What will the magical support do to help the mundane assets.


• Matrix: Call in support? IC reaction to the intrusion. Containment is not a real option except for black IC, elimination or tracking to the physical location are your two primary goals.
Running or hiding and observing is another option.



Once that process is done I start statting the mooks and other NPC's for the site to match the design. The rest is up to the players barring any foils (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif)




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Blade
post Jun 25 2010, 03:18 PM
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A good thing to keep in mind is that security should not get in the way of business and that there's always a difference between the security procedures and what people actually do with them.
For example you could have a hacker's nightmare with tons of chokepoints and a completely random naming scheme and organisation but users won't use it. They don't want to have to enter ten 50 characters long passwords to get their e-mail and they want to find the information they're looking for without having to open every file.
Likewise, automated turrets that shoot at everything that doesn't have a badge isn't a very good idea if you have employees who can forget to take their badge when going to the restrooms.

Another thing to consider is offsite security. Less secure places will often rely on offsite security rather than have guards on watch 24h. And in most cases, the cop will be called if anything happen inside the building.

Finally a good thing to keep in mind for security (magical, matrix and physical) is the three part rule. A good security requires three part:
1. Something that prevents the intruder from intruding. Or more exactly slows him down. A door, a firewall, a ward. It won't hold forever but should take long enough so that the intruder will be seen by the second part.
2. Something to monitor and see the intruder who tries to get past the 1 part. A camera, an analyze program, a watcher spirit.... It won't react but it will warn the third part.
3. Something to prevent the intruder from doing harm. A guard, an ICE, a projecting mage.
If you miss one of these, your security is incomplete. Some security measures can fill the three requirements: a guard can physically block an entrance, see if people try to get past him and react.
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TommyTwoToes
post Jun 25 2010, 03:50 PM
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Another important part of security is not only the set up cost of your security plan, but also the ongoing maintenance. I use a 1% per month rule for planning. Assume legit copies of software require a service agreement, deckers need to get paid, drones need tune ups. With that in mind, I tend to use stuff at the location is geared towards scaring off the timid and casual intruders first, and slowing down and recognizing serious intruders second.

The heavy response stuff is almost always off site, just because the heavys will be on call for multiple sites so that their cost is spread over multiple customers.
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fistandantilus4....
post Jun 25 2010, 04:40 PM
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Moitoring your security is also important. A Spider, if there is one (and he/she doesn't necessarily have to be on site) can monitor/check door locks as part of his 'patrol' routine. Biomonitors can be build into armor, or taken seperately, and go excellent as a part of a normal sec guards equipment. A dog can easily have cyber augmentations such as an eye camera or a link to his nose alerting site personnel of anything abnormal, as well as a biomonitor.

Mages are aware of when a spirit is disrupted. Wards have to be broken or spoofed for magic to bypass them. Watchers within a hallway after hours can usually spot a runner team who was looking for patrolling spirits outside. Regular security checks are an excellent way to stay on top of the game.

This all assumes off hours of course. During working hours, you're going to need check points, much of which can be automated. Implanted RIFD tags in a worker make things easy. Especially when people wonder why the door doesn't open automatically for that guy.

As always, social engineering is a powerful weapon if not properly checked against.

So yeah, keep in mind the budget, what they're trying to protect, the assets available, and the smarts of the people setting it up. The unexpected pressure pad at the corp facility might be just the thing to catch the runners. At the gangers hide out, it might be the shotgun tied to a trip wire. Or if they're the Cutters, maybe it's both.

#1 Control Entry and Exit Points.
#2 Have a good authentication system that is hard to fake
#3 Have a solid/able response if these are violated.

That's the basics.
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Warlordtheft
post Jun 28 2010, 07:31 PM
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QUOTE (fistandantilus4.0 @ Jun 25 2010, 11:40 AM) *
Moitoring your security is also important. A Spider, if there is one (and he/she doesn't necessarily have to be on site) can monitor/check door locks as part of his 'patrol' routine. Biomonitors can be build into armor, or taken seperately, and go excellent as a part of a normal sec guards equipment. A dog can easily have cyber augmentations such as an eye camera or a link to his nose alerting site personnel of anything abnormal, as well as a biomonitor.


Good points about the matrix and other costs. I am of the opinion that an offsite spider for low value installations, and one site spider for the more valuable ones. Being that it is easier for the connection off site to be severed than an on-site one.

I'll add that drones can be a double edged sword though, as a hacker/technomancer could take them over.

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Doc Chase
post Jun 28 2010, 07:37 PM
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QUOTE (Warlordtheft @ Jun 28 2010, 07:31 PM) *
Good points about the matrix and other costs. I am of the opinion that an offsite spider for low value installations, and one site spider for the more valuable ones. Being that it is easier for the connection off site to be severed than an on-site one.

I'll add that drones can be a double edged sword though, as a hacker/technomancer could take them over.


So are RFID tags - imagine the chaos when you sneak into their system and revoke access for certain classes of tags - and executives start getting bloody noses all over the compound when they walk into doors.
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Warlordtheft
post Jun 29 2010, 02:53 PM
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Doc--that is super scary cause imagine a techno takes over and does that and the secure area has gun ports.......may have to use that idea if I'm ever playing.

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MortVent
post Jun 29 2010, 03:08 PM
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Don't forget to consider mostly passive measures and location.

A small corp office in a large building with multiple offices (aka a downtown office bulding in atlanta with over 20 corporate offices; ex a couple law firms, accounting companies, matrix researchers, etc) will not have the extrateritoriy of a AA or AAA

They will focus on passive solutions: maybe a room or two with biofiber panels, motion sensors, trip beams, etc that trigger alerts to building security

Just don't ask me for evil GM tricks... I can't GM anymore after the last site set up I did...

Hey, you would think they would consider the implications of a silence spell when the corp uses atmosphere sounds in the hallways... or the fact in an older building the alarms are likely mecahnical bells and not matrix systems...

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