Dumpshock Forums > Hacking from a Distance

shadowbod

Mar 18 2006, 04:54 PM

Does a hacker need to actually be in DIRECT wireless range to hack a commlink etc? The reason that I ask is that the new "on the run" adventure gets the players to steal (or at least gain direct access to) a commlink to hack it. Why can't this be done from a distance, hopping accross multiple nodes rather than hacker physically going to commlink?

Teulisch

Mar 18 2006, 05:44 PM

well, theres 2 ranges to consider- yours and the device your hacking. If you cant receive a signal from the target node, you cant hack it.

that said, you could hack system A to get to B, to get to C, to get to target. its just more work, and many times it may be imposible to access a target from a distance (system with no wireless, for instance). The very best paydata is not where you can get at it easily.

while its possible, its not always practical.

mfb

Mar 18 2006, 06:06 PM

i don't think you need to hack from A to B to C to get to the target, as long as the target is within range of a standard wireless network. all you need to do is find your target by doing a search; the wireless nodes between you and the target will carry data between you and the target. i mean, that's the whole point (and basis) of the new Matrix. are you sure the commlink in the run doesn't have its wireless connectivity turned off, or something?

Feshy

Mar 18 2006, 07:54 PM

Perhas the commlink in question was in "hidden" mode, and thus invisible to the network at large?

Geekkake

Mar 18 2006, 10:56 PM

Aside from the issue of a commlink possibly being in Hidden Mode, I see absolutely no reason that a hacker couldn't access the commlink in question from anywhere in the world, provided he had the MXP address (is that outdated?) and both commlinks were within range of a repeater station (and thus had access to the Matrix). It's not unlike the old days of decking, really.

Azathfeld

Mar 18 2006, 11:11 PM

Don't have the book. Maybe the comm was just off?

Erebus

Mar 19 2006, 12:22 AM

I'd say:

You don't need to be in range of another commlink to hack it. If your not in range, you just need to know the com ID.

Just like you don't need to be in the cable company to hack yourself Pay-Per-View access. You just connect to their node via the Matrix.

Chaos Kingpin

Mar 22 2006, 05:18 AM

I was wondering about this too...

The book gives no reason why the team needs to get to the commlink in person. As a new GM, this is a bit confusing... just as I think I am starting to understand the matrix this comes along...

Otherwise a great intro run for new GM's though! Lots of good tips.

Azathfeld

Mar 22 2006, 05:15 PM

Having now purchased the adventure, it's not clear to me, either, but,

[ Spoiler ]

Kleaner

Mar 22 2006, 06:20 PM

QUOTE (Chaos Kingpin)

I was wondering about this too...

The book gives no reason why the team needs to get to the commlink in person. As a new GM, this is a bit confusing... just as I think I am starting to understand the matrix this comes along...

Otherwise a great intro run for new GM's though! Lots of good tips.

They need to go to the commlink in person because:

[ Spoiler ]

Guye Noir

Mar 22 2006, 06:21 PM

Well then, Azathfeld has the asnwer. It's off, and the runners need to go and turn it on.

However, even if it was on, I'd say the hacker couldn't just leap frog from one node to the next in VR to get to it because they have no idea what Nabo's icon looks like, where (in the Matrix) it is, or what his comm ID number is. I'd say someone would have to get to his commlink and find out what it's comm ID number is and relay that info back to the hacker before he could access it remotely.

EDIT: access number changed to comm ID.

Kremlin KOA

Mar 22 2006, 06:24 PM

or you would surveil the guy until you got enough data on him to FIND out his access number
but yeah, turned off

kenshin138

Mar 22 2006, 06:26 PM

QUOTE (Erebus)

You don't need to be in range of another commlink to hack it. If your not in range, you just need to know the com ID.

OK, as a new SR GM I was confused about this as well. So can you search for a com ID for basically anything? Do you have to encounter them online first? If they are in hidden mode can you simply not get their com ID? What if you know the com ID but they are in hidden mode, can you still hack them?

Thanks.

Kleaner

Mar 22 2006, 06:38 PM

comm id, commcode is basically the phone number of the commlink. I'd imagine of you didn't know a person's commcode, you'd have to observe the persona of the commlink, or the actually commlink itself and make some matrix perception tests to find that out. If it's hidden, you have to detect the wireless node via electronic warfare.

see page 225 for detecting wireless nodes, and pg 217 for observing icons.

If you KNOW the com ID for the commlink, you can simply "dial" the number like you would a cell phone. Provided that it's within range of a wireless network that you can also access. i.e. the "matrix".

Guye Noir

Mar 22 2006, 06:40 PM

I'd say comm code is more like and IP or MAC address but yeah, it works the same way Kleaner describes.

mfb

Mar 22 2006, 07:04 PM

i'd imagine you can also search for a comm ID by other criteria. for instance, if you know the target's name, you can search that way; if you want the ID for the comm of one of the guards at the Ares facility a block away, you could do something like analyzing movement patterns of Ares-registered IDs (tracking them via GPS data); if you want the ID of that guy who just jumped into an elevator, you can search the elevator's controlling system for recent accessors sorted by floor of entry. stuff like that.

Azathfeld

Mar 23 2006, 12:18 AM

You can potentially use Data Search to scrounge up someone's access, or you can use Electronic Warfare to intercept wireless traffic of any node whose Signal your comm is in range of.

GuyofDoom

Mar 23 2006, 12:27 AM

From my understanding if you are not in the signal range of the commlink then you would have to go through the nodes that the commlink was accessing.

Example:

Bob's commlink is accessing the phone book to look up a pizza place. Jack is trying to hack Bob's commlink.

If Jack is within signal range to Bob then he just can hack the commlink.

If Jack is farther from Bob then he would have to go through the Phone directory Bob is accessing to get to Bob's commlink.

That's been my basic understanding.... otherwise what is the point of signal range other than for EM detectors.....

neko128

Mar 23 2006, 02:08 AM

QUOTE (GuyofDoom)

From my understanding if you are not in the signal range of the commlink then you would have to go through the nodes that the commlink was accessing.

Example:

Bob's commlink is accessing the phone book to look up a pizza place. Jack is trying to hack Bob's commlink.

If Jack is within signal range to Bob then he just can hack the commlink.

If Jack is farther from Bob then he would have to go through the Phone directory Bob is accessing to get to Bob's commlink.

That's been my basic understanding.... otherwise what is the point of signal range other than for EM detectors.....

To hack a commlink, you just have to be able to communicate with it; it doesn't have to necessarily cooperate and be actively communicating with you. Consider the exceptionally large amount of data transmitted when you're walking around town. Arrows and such all over the place, and the Commlink doesn't have to request them; they're just transmitted to it.