I found a couple older posts that talk about similar topics, but nothing that addresses this directly.
From the BBB,
"Files, signals, and devices may all be encrypted with a Simple Action. If you have the proper key, decrypting takes only a Simple Action."
"Encrypt programs utilize various cryptographic schemes and ciphers to secure files, access nodes, and communications between nodes."
I understand how encrypting and decrypting files and communications works, but what exactly happens when you encrypt a node/device? Does it mean that anyone accessing the node must run a successful decrypt before they can do anything? If you haven't yet decrypted a node, could you still engage in cybercombat in that node even if you can't browse files and such?
In order to encrypt a node, does the node itself have to run Encrypt? Or can some random hacker enter a node, encrypt it with a simple action (per the first quote), and then leave again? That doesn't make much sense to me...
But if the system itself is running Encrypt, who would take the simple action to encrypt the device? As far as I can tell, nodes don't actually have a place in the combat turn sequence. Would it just happen automatically (with no action) for the case of a node running Encrypt?
Here's an example sequence of how I imagine it would work:
Commlink A is set up to run Encrypt 5 to encrypt both itself and its communications. Whenver it boots up, it launches Encrypt as part of its startup sequence.
Hacker Stimpy tries to hack into the commlink. Stimpy breaks in, but he's sloppy, and the commlink detects him. As soon as he's in, the commlink launches IC to attack him.
Stimpy is now in an encrypted node with IC attacking him. He can't take any actions on the system (browse or edit files, etc.) until he breaks the encryption via Decrypt. He can still fight back against the IC, but only by direct combat (e.g. he couldn't try to crash its programs or spoof a command for it to stop attacking).
What Stimpy really wants to do is connect to the commlink owner's cybereyes, which are subscribed to the commlink. Before he can even start hacking into the cybereyes, though (i.e. use an outgoing connection from the commlink), he still needs to complete his decryption.
If Stimpy succeeds in decrypting the node, he can act normally there. If he leaves and comes back again, though, he'd need to break the encryption all over again. Of course, he could probably extract the encryption key before he leaves via some other commands (Data Search, Disarm a data bomb, Decrypt the file where it's stored).
Does all that look correct?