If I'm just Joe Shadowrunner and want to make it difficult for people to hack into my computer and really want to kill them for doing it what do I have to do? I'd basically need to get an agent right? Since to not have an agent means I get my measely 1 initiative pass per round to defeat any "enemy" hackers right?

Also, if you hack the encryption of an agent program can you make multiple copies and send them into battle the same time?

If one "dies" can you just reload it?

dont know what you mean exactly with defending with 1 ini pass
rest:
yes and yes

I just mean IC is a program you use right? It has no value unless you or an agent are using it.

No. IC is an agent used for node-defense. The agent is loaded with different utilities which it uses to interfere with intruders.

you're correct, Lord Ben. if you want to give your computer automatic defenses, you need to have an agent or a frame loaded with combat programs patrolling your computer. that way, you (or rather, your computer) will get multiple init passes with which to fight off intruders.

no, IC can be loaded anytime your firewall detects an intruder.

certainly, it might make sense to have an agent always on, and continuously checking for intruders, but there is no reason IC won't work on it's own.

IC, in 3+1 easy steps:

1) Aquire Agent program. At chargen, this means that you'll be looking at a Rating 4 Agent, for 10 000

2) Aquire some or all of the following utilities:

• Analyse (to detect hacking attempts - the rules as written don't require this to be loaded into an agent, just running on the node)
• Attack
• Armor
• Black Hammer/Blackout (for Fun With Black IC)
• Stealth (to help the IC evade cybercombat attacks)
• Track (if you want to trace that sonuvabeech and deal with them later)

Remember that the rating of the agent is limited by the Response of the node it runs on, and any programs it carries are limited by the Rating of the agent.

3) Instruct your Firewall program to launch copies of your Agent with designated utility payloads if it detects a hacking attempt. Since you have the program, rules as written allow you to launch as many copies of the Agent as you like, each with different payloads. For example, you may launch an Agent carrying Attack and Armor to distract and attack, while another Agent carrying Stealth and Track gets a lock.
Just don't launch so many that your node slows down.

4) Congratulations. You are now the proud owner of Nice IC, for a cost of roughly 30 000-40 000 !

Do IC/Agents launched to by your Firewall count towards the program limit you as the user of the commlink have? Meaning if you are running a System 5 commlink with four active programs and your Firewall detects an intruder and launches 2 IC... does your Response drop? I would think so, but just checking for clarity.

It does - therefore the reference that Nodes are careful not to run too much IC.

Ok, so a hacker would probably want to tune their Firewall to not launch IC if it would drop their Response.

Thanks.

Well, at least not while they were actually using the Commlink for something important, like hacking. If it was just idle or something they'd probably have it run exactly enough IC to max out and team-kill the intruder.

Maybe command it to launch enough IC to leave 1 free program slot open. Then the hacker can at least do one thing even if he's coming on the scene late without impacting his system.

Yes, but which? Stealth so you won't get smacked the moment you log in, or Attack so you can actually do something?

Nah; if it's your own commlink getting hacked your only real option is to log in using another commlink, and leave the comprimised one to running IC.