I've only been playing Shadowrun for about two years, and in all the campaigns I've been in, I've only heard about Lone Star. Now that I'm on the forums, I see names like Winter Systems and Knight Errant, but I don't know anything about them. Why is Lone Star the big bad security system that everyone seems to use? What about these others, and others I've probably never heard of?

Lone Star is the company that has been contracted by Seattle for it's law enforcement, beating out other companies such as Knight Errant. Unless you run in another city where Knight Errant or one of the other companies is contracted (or break into a facility that has independantly contracted one of them), chances are that's why you haven't ran into anyone beyond Lone Star.

I tend to prefer using Knight Errant in my games mostly because I'm superficial and petty; I can't stand the name "Lone Star."

Lone Star is the "baseline" corp. They are hired out to the most groups and tend to do the low level work.

Groups like Hard Corps, Winter Systems and Knight Errant tend to do higher value/more difficult work.

I thought Hard Corps were thugs too, but someone said they were the Elite of of KE. Now I'm confused.

I think that its more that Hard Corps and KE are both owned by Ares.

So HC is goons and thugs, KE is kickass?

Hard Corps are the thugs of the Ares security firms. Then you have Knight Errant and their regular bad asses, and the Knight Errant Firewatch teams which make up their elite units.

I too prefer using KE and actually my group gave the Seattle contract to them. Which caused Seattle policing to become a bit more difficult to get around. It was a fun way to up the ante. As such, Lone Star has kind of fallen by the wayside in our games.

Also some municipal police departments have incorporated. New Orleans did, in one book they call them New Orleans Police Inc, the hoods call them NOCOPS, because they are so corrupt. But in another book they say KE has the contract. I think New Yorks police incorporated, calling themselves Big Apple Security. I forget who they belong to but you also have Nightengale security, I know it is one of the Japanacorps, I am thinking Yatetsu. Renraku has the Red Samuria. Their is also a security company in the Sioux called Lone Eagle secuity. Some places still have municipal security. I can not find the book right now but I know there is a big lsit of security firms in SR, but just to point out SR is filled with security companies, all the big 10 will have their own maybe supplemented by LS or KE.

The NYPD became NYPD Inc. They share the duty with Winter Systems and Knight Errant. And on New Orleans, I'd go with Target: Smugglers Havens and say that NOPS was the provider, and with Knight Errant really wishing they were, since that's the main New Orleans sourcebook.

Remember all of the contests for the contracts in NY due to the clause in their contract. The one that says proof of misdoings (or somesuch) = losing your contract.

(SoNA)

For the most part, everyone's hit it on the head.

The Big Two security firms are Knight Errant (Ares) and LoneStar (independent). LoneStar is the most 'common' beacuse in canon they own the municipal contracts for a majority of UCAS cities (Seattle in particular). LoneStar also takes corporate security contracts, and in that capacity, is not trying to enforce municipal law, rather to protect corporate interests.

KnightErrant has a subsidiary, called HardCorps that does more mercenary work than security work. Firewatch Teams are the elite of HardCorps and they figure prominently in "Burning Bright", the novel where they nuke Chicago (Cernak Blast).

Winter Security, NYPD Inc, NOPS, Atlantic Security, California Rangers, Lone Eagle, and your local organized crime group are all 'small-time' security groups that don't have Megacorporate Status (A or above), but still control large sections of a municipality/state security-wise. (LoneStar is a AA, and KE is a subsidary of an AAA, so it counts)

Renraku Red Samurai, Diaska Security, and other similar corporate security firms provide services only to their company. This is so they don't have to trust a compeditor with the security of their projects, but then again, they only do that for the really 'secure' operations. Also, the corporate groups have less of an enforcement duty and a protective duty: meaning they're more apt to shoot first, rather than try to apprehend. Also, with extraterratoriality (for the AAAs), they're enforcing corporate law, rather than national/municipal law, so they're free to shoot at will. However, also with extraterratorial matters, they'll be less likely to pursue you off corporate grounds (but they'll call the cops and let them know where they can shoot some big, bad, shadowrunners )

Hope this wasn't too redundant!

[BBC] Another kind of activity for a private security firm...

Don't forget that a few jurisdictions still have government run law enforcement.

The Federal Capital Police (AKA FedPols) in FDC are the best known of these. But if I recall correctly, according to the Harliquin adventures (the first ones) Columbia MO still has a municipal police force.

In UCAS the federal law enforcement is still government run (excepting the DED of Lone Star which appears to have taken over the DEA's jobs). The FBI still exists, I don't know about the ATF, Boarder Patrol, Marshall's or other federal agencies.

Also the Lone Star SB states that LS does not have a highway patrol division. Presumably this is still handled directly by the states.

Ute Nation has a national police force. And don't forget the California Rangers. Plus, I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting that are in Canon sources.

BATF (actually BATF&E now) is the BATTF.
the Marshals Service is still around.
Customs is still around in some form as well.
I don't know about BP, but I'd assume so.

Firewatch has always been part of Knight Errant. It was KE in Burning Bright; in Bug City; and in Corporate Download.