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Jimson
My group will be breaking into an Ares Testing facility (I’m actually converting a 3rd edition SR Missions “A Dark and Stormy Night� to 4th edition). The Mission discusses camera and a Security Rigger, but it doesn’t mention anything about trying to hack it (node stats). Here are my questions:

1. How common are “wired� facilities in 2070?

2. If I decided to make it a “wired� facility, how would runners bypass the cameras to avoid alerting security?

3. If I make it a “wireless� facility, what is the difference of hiding vs. Matrix Perception (Hacking + Stealth (or Firewall + Stealth for programs/nodes)) (BBB p. 217), and using Electronic Warfare+Scan to detect a hidden node (BBB 225, Detecting Wireless Nodes).

I’m slowing incorporating the Matrix rules as I go, and did not want to learn all the rules at once.
Murrdox
I'm not a Matrix expert, but here's my 2 Nuyen.

1. Wired facilities are as common as you, the GM, want to make them IMO. Wireless in 2070 is easily hackable. Having certain portions of a network being wired-only enhances your security on one hand, but on the other hand it reduces its capability.

2. If the facility is wired, then the hacker would need to find somewhere inside the building to jack in and access the wired network. Alternatively, the hacker would need to locate a WIRELESS node which had access to the wired portion of the network. For example, you might not be able to access all the security cameras wirelessly, but there might be a highly protected wireless security node which is wired up to them all. If you can hack your way into that wireless security node, you'd be able to get to the cameras.

3. Hiding vs. Matrix Perception is actually disguising your Matrix Icon and making it look like something harmless. You're blending into the background data so that ICE and other hackers can't detect you. Electronic Warfare involves finding hidden Nodes, not Icons. So for example, if your hacker was hacked into the Security Node, he might be looking for the Security Cameras, which might be hidden nodes. He'd be making an electronic warfare test. The security hacker who is trying to detect your hacker's presence in the node however, would be making a Matrix perception role.
Chrysalis
1. Quite common. As much as I would like to live in an apartment with electrical wiring that is not 40 years old, well here I am. Besides wireless technology is not very secure for doing anything. It also comes down to bandwidth and it really depends on the facility. A facility that runs simulations needs a lot of bandwidth and central processing, compared with a biomedical facility which may have 100 computers, but finding any information involves accessing each one individually. But this might be too much reality.

2. The same way as today. Splice into the feed; break a camera; use a laser to burn out the CCD receptor; get busy with guard.
Blade
1. I think they're far more common that some people think. Most facilities were wired before the crash and since the crash didn't affect the wiring, there's no reason why they wouldn't use it anymore. Most will probably have a wireless network too, for the ease of use, but in the places where wireless isn't necessary, it probably won't be enabled.
For example most cameras installed before the Crash will be wired since they were wired before the Crash and replacing them now with unwired cameras won't add anything. Newer cameras might be wireless, though, since it's easier to just put a camera somewhere than to install a cable.

As a Wireless network will always be less secure than a wired one, very secure facilities might also rely on wired networks only (maybe with a backup unwired network if there's a physical problem with the wired network).

2. There are a lot of ways: invisibility (with spells/powers or chameleon suits), social engineering (looking like someone who's supposed to be there) or hacking. In that case, the hacker will use a wired access point to connect to the building's security system. He'll then either hack each camera independantly, or hack the central security node to get access on all cameras (since they are slaved to the central security node).

3. Electronic Warfare+Scan will let you know that there is a node here (something is emitting or receiving wireless signals) so the hacker will "see" that there is something. But if the node is running a Stealth program, it won't look like what it really is. For example, if a camera security node is running a stealth program, it won't look like a camera security node but like some data in the system, or like a useless sub-node of some useless device.
Murrdox
QUOTE
3. Electronic Warfare+Scan will let you know that there is a node here (something is emitting or receiving wireless signals) so the hacker will "see" that there is something. But if the node is running a Stealth program, it won't look like what it really is. For example, if a camera security node is running a stealth program, it won't look like a camera security node but like some data in the system, or like a useless sub-node of some useless device.


Me confused. Clarification?

If a Node is running a Stealth program to camouflage itself, then it's out in the open, it's not really a hidden Node, so you wouldn't need an Electronic Warfare roll to detect it, correct? Just a Matrix Perception check.

If you make an Electronic Warfare check and detect a hidden node... if it's also running a Stealth program, wouldn't you automatically know that it was a hidden node, regardless of how good its Stealth was, and if you'd failed your Matrix Perception check?
Ryu
WiFi-Scan finds the node, Analyse tells you what kind of matrix attributes it has (for example).

If you fail the WiFi-Scan test, you don´t find the node at all. If you fail the Analyse test, all info you get is something between "no response" and "I´m infrastructure, go away".

You might like example 1 of my matrix introduction project (at the end of the opening post), and even if you don´t read the rest, don´t miss Aarons Hacker Cards; they will enable your players to figure out their dicepools on their own.
Jimson
QUOTE (Murrdox @ Oct 8 2008, 11:16 AM) *
3. Hiding vs. Matrix Perception is actually disguising your Matrix Icon and making it look like something harmless. You're blending into the background data so that ICE and other hackers can't detect you. Electronic Warfare involves finding hidden Nodes, not Icons. So for example, if your hacker was hacked into the Security Node, he might be looking for the Security Cameras, which might be hidden nodes. He'd be making an electronic warfare test. The security hacker who is trying to detect your hacker's presence in the node however, would be making a Matrix perception role.


So you can have a node on another node?
Blade
Disclaimer: this is my vision, it might not be 100% RAW.

QUOTE (Murrdox @ Oct 8 2008, 06:55 PM) *
If a Node is running a Stealth program to camouflage itself, then it's out in the open, it's not really a hidden Node, so you wouldn't need an Electronic Warfare roll to detect it, correct? Just a Matrix Perception check.


Unless you have detected it, your node doesn't even know that there's a node here. So you won't see it in the Matrix. If you've detected it, your analyze program will scan it in order to tell you what it is. If the Stealth program is successful, my Analyze program will report to me that it's something it's not.
Let's compare this with a physical world situation: an intruder is dressed like a corporate guard and has an invisibility spell on. He comes accross a patrolling guard. The guard rolls his Willpower and beat the spell. He's able to see the intruder, but the intruder is still dressed as someone who should be here. Depending on how the GM deals with invisibility spell, the guard might not realize that the intruder has an invisibility spell.

QUOTE
If you make an Electronic Warfare check and detect a hidden node... if it's also running a Stealth program, wouldn't you automatically know that it was a hidden node, regardless of how good its Stealth was, and if you'd failed your Matrix Perception check?


Yes you'd probably know it was hidden, but you might not pay attention to the node since it doesn't seem important.
A mage guard using astral perception will wonder why a fellow guard has an invisibility spell on him, but he might not astrally check every guard he meets.


Jimson
Wow Blade, that example clears up so much. Thanks!
Ryu
QUOTE (Jimson @ Oct 8 2008, 07:47 PM) *
So you can have a node on another node?


No. You have nodes as places, personae/agents/IC (=constructs) as people, and subscriptions as streets between places. One node can be made of several devices (cluster, Unwired, pg. 55 I think). A comlink provides both a node (as device) and a persona (for the user).
Jimson
That reminds me of another question.

Can you hack into a node, even though you are not in Signal range with that specific node? I thought I heard that a hacker could just stay at home, while his team went out. He could then hack the node by navigating his way through other nodes.

So, in other words, Hacker is at point A and the team is going to point D. The hacker needs to hack point D. The hacker could then go through point B (which he is in signal range of) and C to arrive at D to hack it in AR (or VR).
Ryu
That depends.

You generally need both wireless nodes in signal range of each other, so that they can subscribe to each other. This is a requirement for hacking a node, but not for spoofing orders. (Spoofing suffers, too, because you might never know that the node has gotten - and is executing - your order.)

But subscriptions can be mediated. If a node (or a chain of nodes that in combination satisfy the following conditions) is in bi-directional signal range to both nodes, you can connect "via the matrix", instead of directly. The nodes inbetween just need to a)be set to active mode, then they act as router for all traffic, or b) be ordered to relay traffic for one of the nodes, because otherwise passive/hidden = no routing.
Blade
That's correct.

But there are some cases when you can't do it that way. For example, if the point D is in the middle of nowhere, there won't be any node in range of node D. There are also paints or walls that stop wireless signals. If the node D is behind such walls, you won't be able to reach it. The only solution (unless you consider blowing up a wall) would be for your team to put a device in range of node D then use a wire to connect that device to another device which will be outside of the wireless-blocking room so that you can connect to it.

A problem with this method is that if any node used to route the signal is closed down and if there is no other node available to route the signal the hacker will be kicked out of the node. Another problem is that a hacker can hack any node on the way to intercept the signal and have fun with it.
Jimson
So in other words, bring the hacker with and he can wait in the car. smile.gif
Ryu
QUOTE (Jimson @ Oct 8 2008, 09:21 PM) *
So in other words, bring the hacker with and he can wait in the car. smile.gif


Operative can, but yes.
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