The problem with this and the other post that talked about a PC providing the drone with special instructions, is that these types of safeguards are already factored in. The game is simplifying all those things. When you Spoof, you are spoofing all those things.

Of course, you can change that however you want for your own game, but that is my understanding based on the wording of the matrix programs. Devising extra steps for your drones or programs is merely role-playing, as the effects are already calculated. As your software and hardware improves, these factors are exactly what raise the ratings.

p. 225

"Intercepting Wireless Signals
Wireless traffi c is broadcast through the air, so anyone within
range of a signal can pick it up, whether they are connected
to the transmitting party or not. Th us you can eavesdrop on the
wireless connections of anyone whose Signal range reaches you.
Th is makes it possible for you to even intercept traffi c within a
specifi c network—such as the PAN traffi c between Mr. Johnson’s
commlink and other devices on his network.
To perform an Intercept Wireless Signal action, make an
Electronic Warfare + Sniff er (3) Test. Once the signal is intercepted,
you can monitor the traffi c and even copy/record/forward it
without making any more Intercept Wireless Signal actions. If you
want to block out some parts of the traffi c or add in your own, you
must make an Edit action.
Th ere is no way to detect interception of a wireless signal.
Note that wireless communications are usually encrypted, so
you’ll need to decrypt the signal before you can intercept or capture
the traffi c."

You can do this, but it's not a "just". Try reading this entire thread, there are many ideas and suggestions and explanations.

You might want to look at Intercept Traffic on p.224, and look at Exploit, Spoof, Stealth, Hacking on the Fly, and the Cybercombat rules as well.

Yes.

I can see that for software (and there is some question on how much spoofing will get you), but not for hardware.

There is not way to spoof a hardwired GPS control on the main power supply that gently powers down the drone if it leaves Corp Territory if it is not physically connected to the the dog brain with the wireless connection. The only way would be to spoof the GPS satellite and good luck with that.

We are also talking extra measures as oppose to off the shelf. Stuff the corp is only going to do with armed drones in sensitive areas. It your game and you can run it as you please. Every SR GM is going to have to decide how easy it is to hijack a corp's drones. But if it was too easy they they wouldn't use them any place critical.

I'm not saying the hacker can't hack the dogbrain of a Billboard Blimp Drone and use it's camera to keep an eye on someone.

I'm saying that there would be hardware counter measures available for critical drones.

Just like no aircraft is going to allow someone to wireless control it if there is a pilot jacked in. They would build the hardware to cut the wireless connection when the pilot jacked in because the Corps don't want some sicko script kiddie trying to reenact 911 with a fully loaded commuter jet on their HQ. Let alone the PR mess and what the passenger's Families lawyers would do the the manufacturer.

I also think that when a rigger's is Jumped in to a drone using VR, his simsense signal would be fairly unique to the rigger and the drone he was using. Like a fingerprint. So if they piped it through to the drone, it might be something that even a hot shot hacker with a powerful comm unit would have serious trouble recreating on the fly using emulation software. If so then why wouldn't a corp provide a drone with a list of approved riggers and a sample of their simsense signal to validate the riggers commands.

The skies the limit on this. And there are some sick puppies out there.


As I said if they "filed the serial numbers off" so it can't be traced back to them then they have a lot fewer options.

A surveillance drone's main defense is not being seen. A fiber optic line also works good.


A few Home Grown Anti Hijack Options

First the legal options:

Color me Stinky - Booby trap the drones with an Orange Dye and stink bomb when they open the hood. You'll be able to follow your nose to the one who took your drone.

Car Alarm - Every 30 minutes it asks for a confirmation code. No code then it starts a siren. A very very loud siren and it can't be turned off without disconnecting the power supply (where a Color Me Stinky booby trap has been placed.) Has the added benefit of draining the drones batteries.


Lo Jack - Drone has a hard wired transponders/GPS that calls home with its location. It can also power down the drone.

Fairy Dust - if being use it will drops a single RFID tag every hour or so, The Tag waits 15 minutes then calls home with its location. The drones has a hundred and so tags so it will be leaving a trail for a long time.

Spare - How about a cheap second dog brain that will cut off the comm link and primary dog brain and fly it home.

Upping the Stakes:

Betsie Wetsie - the drones has a several tubes of acid in the base. If the drone isn't stored in it specially designed rack then after a few hours the acid is released. Great way to ruin a lot of other drones.

Bug Zapper - Give the drone ICE

Don't play with others Toys - How about after a week, the next time someone jumps in, it loads some black hammer and asks the rigger for a confirmation code. No code, then it's HAMMER time.

And Willie Pete and Boomer.
These two are self evident

Do it right and the only thing your players will do with a "lost" drone is put it in a field, use a cheap remote drone to take it completely apart, and then sell the parts as fast as possible.

Hey, that's a good idea! Hack the low-level drones in ways that don't compromise their primary (owner's) mission, and unless Cliff Stoll is involved, no one will notice. (Cliff Stoll investigated a $.25 accounting inconsistency and ended up discovering an East German hacker penetrating US military base computers and selling data to the KGB. Stoll wrote a book about it, and the hacker died under rather suspicious circumstances. Moral: have the thorough guy on *your* side.)

The countermeasures listed are excellent. Some kinda expensive, or have risks of going off accidentally, and I already posted the "confirmation code" aspect. Cute names! Many of them involve a brain, or at least chip, separate from the main unit, which is a level of detail that RAW generally doesn't get into. Another semi-random true story: a US space probe had two brains that took turns checking on each other. NASA controller tells the probe that its path will result in a planet occluding direct LOS to the Sun. Brain A accepts this and continues routinely. Then brain B, which didn't get the memo, wakes up, says "Okay, how are we doing?" (roughly translated). First brain says "all according to plan". Second brain says "You are on crack! The fraggin' sun is missing!" Shuts down the first brain and starts an oh-shit-level astrogation check and sends a distress signal to mission control.

Mod to Fairy Dust: the RFID chips should be the respond-when-cued type.