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> Fake IDs, Fake ID storage, PANs, and your commlink
O'Ryan
post Feb 2 2013, 09:41 AM
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In a recent game the DM mentioned that you could only have one ID per commlink - the 'link was registered to that ID and was unable to accept another one until the initial was purged.

In my own research of this I found a single sentence in a fluff story that supported this (having the character subscribing their running phone with fake ID to their (quasi)legal phone in hidden mode), but I've been unable to find actual rules one way or the other. Since we have a round-robin style of DMing, all of us want to be as close to the RAW as possible to ease transitions... if it comes down to a DM call then absolutely his way is how it's going to be... but since we've been unable to find anything hard and fast, we thought you fine folk might have the answer.
So!

How many IDs can you have on a single commlink? (Obviously only one active at a given time.)
Do you just treat excess IDs as unloaded r5 programs (due to the innate r5 encryption SINs have), or are the SINs tied in to the OS (or other techo-babble) limiting it to one per phone?

How does this work with characters with dual citizenship? According to.... Seattle 2072 (or unwired?), dual citizens (such as Ares / UCAS) actually have two legal SINs - do they have two commlinks then depending on what territory they're in or what?





Unrelated but equally interesting to me, what happens if you're an innocent citizen (ha!) and someone robs you, stealing your commlink (and therefore your SIN and all your money). Can you just go to a government office and get that replaced (via biometrics check) or do you join the wonderful world of non-citizenship?
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_Pax._
post Feb 2 2013, 09:47 AM
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An ID is more than just a SIN.

Also, your SIN, and Identity, is actually not stored in it's totality on your commlink - it's in various databases throughout the matrix. So if someone steals your commlink, it's no different from them stealing your smartphone and wallet (with ID documents inside): report it all stolen, and begin the laborious process of getting new copies, while praying the thief doesn't turn out to be a skilled identity thief as well.
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Lionhearted
post Feb 2 2013, 09:56 AM
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As I see it, (not strictly RAW) A SIN is a chip that you plug into your link and it then automatically subscribe to your PAN, the chip is a heavily encrypted file featuring both public access information and biometrics data to actively authorise who you are, medical data, crime record and such will also be available with proper authorisation. The SIN can then be cross referenced to a government database that contains the same information.
One can reckon, that just like IDs you can report your SIN stolen and they will deactivate that chip while they issue you a new one, providing you can prove you are who you claim you are, security questions, biometric scans, stuff like that.

Fake SINs are hard to aquire because of the monumental data manipulation required to make them seem legit, a common shortcut is to use an existing SIN from a deceased person, or an alive one (identity theft)

Having it be hardware makes sense as even Joe Schmoe changes commlink on a somewhat regular basis
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Mantis
post Feb 2 2013, 10:01 AM
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Spy Games (pg 143) details what exactly is in a SIN at each rating as well. We've never played as though your SIN is limited to one commlink or vice versa. You can have more than one smart phone tied to you google account now for example. You should just be able to key it with the SIN ID and go from there. Maybe change the Access ID when you switch Fake SINs as per pgs 223-224 of SR4A.
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O'Ryan
post Feb 2 2013, 10:10 AM
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Lion, I really like your chip idea. I don't think it's the most practical thing, but in my mind it fits best with as the world is described.

I would think SINs would be on a cloud type storage where (as Mantis pointed out via google) you just log in with your link and call it good. The downside to this is there is a very specific roll (edit test v. rating of the ID times rating of commlink) to completely strip an ID of all biometrics. If this was cloud storage the information would all be backed up and a measly edit test wouldn't be enough... and why the heck does having a more powerful 'link matter unless the ID is tied to the link specifically?
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SpellBinder
post Feb 2 2013, 10:50 AM
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I had always figured something of the two, a chip in your commlink that can be removed (like the SIM card of present day cell phones) as well as the data stored in some government or megacorp server. The chip holds some data, but acts like your identification for the LEOs to use to track down the rest of the data (address, DOB, licenses, etc.). That way, in the world of disposable cell phones, er, commlinks, your average wageslave can just pop the chip in the new model commlink that comes out every four to six months, and everything updates smoothly.

And do recall that back in SR3, everyone carried a credstick that held your identification & licenses & such.
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Mantis
post Feb 2 2013, 05:54 PM
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O'Ryan, where did you get the info for that test? The only one I can find on actually stripping an ID is in Unwired pg 96 and that test has nothing to do with your commlink (Hacking + Edit (System, 1 hour)) where the system is that of the data base your are attacking. It is set by the GM and has nothing to do with your own commlink.
The optional rule on Forging SINs and IDs does contain a multiplier but again this is in reference to the system you are attacking and is set by the GM. It also has nothing to do with your commlink.
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O'Ryan
post Feb 4 2013, 07:02 AM
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Mantis, you're right. It looks like I got caught up in unrelated sentences, and linked "system" with "system rating" in re: commlinks. Whoops!


For the record, our group has adopted IDs as sim card like chips you plug in and it's working well so far.
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Mantis
post Feb 4 2013, 07:27 AM
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Yeah that happens. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) We prefer the cloud/tablet model as it is just easier and doesn't involve any actual physical item to get the SIN. It also avoids issues with disposable commlinks which are anonymous and don't require a SIN for use. You just turn it on and have matrix access for a week. I also don't see much point in forcing players to spend potentially 10s of thousands of nuyen to replace a commlink if an ID gets compromised. Or vice versa. I see the encryption on the ID being the actual info being encrypted rather than an item with the encryption and info on it. The game examples and such seem to support this view as they talk about forging IDs or cleaning them to require access to numerous data bases to alter. The fact SINs have no device rating adds to this.
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