Hello,

Simple question, or maybe not...lets say im a security hacker, how would I go about hacking a street sams network and screwing with his cyberware/weaponry? Would I need to access his commlink or find the nodes on a wireless network? Also if I did succede in hacking him, could I spoof commands to his gun to make the saftey turn on or something like that?

-Josh

You would'nt be able to Hack (most of ) my Chars Comlink because He's (they're) using Skinlink,Signal Str of 0 or we have a Hacker in our own Group who's an expert with rating 6 Equip(Firewall,Analysis Progs and more tricks from the Unwired) or we're using Rating 6 Military-Microtranceivers for communikation and no Comlink at all !

HougH!
Medicineman

Aye, unless the street sam is a total half-scan you are not going to be able to hack his equipment no matter how good of a Decker you are, even in a Pink Mohawk setting.

On the other hand, hacking a security guard's gun might be possible - if you hacked the maintenance node in advance, and planted some backdoors in the guns as their programs and systems were updated.

If you can take out the hacker of a runner team, or subert him (blackmail, bribes, psychotropic IC) you have a shot at hacking the team's 'ware too.

I disagree, the Runners that have total faith in their Decker are not going to last long in the shadows, everyone should know enough about computers that they can set up their own PAN security and never ever let the team's Decker near their cyber.

Plus I see the corps as being extremely paranoid when it comes to the possibility of having their security teams hacked by a clever Decker, the upside of going wireless is not enough to risk the security of a target worth hiring Runners to crack.

Assuming the gun is a smartgun, you can hack it so long as you are within it's signal radius. Unfortunately they have a signal radius of about 3 meters(or less if it's skin linked natch) which means that you will have to first hack into a device you are within the signal range of and has the gun as a subscription(say their comlink, though you might have to leap frog a few more times if they are really paranoid). Even if you get in range, they might have the gun slaved to their comlink which means you have to go through the comlink first, but if you get through the comlink you automatically get into the gun.

Getting into cyberware is the same deal, but for ware that is controlled by a DNI(most of them) you first need to hack into their DNI via a trode net or a datajack, which means you will have to go through the comlink first if they even have one of those connected to their link.

So what have we learned, keep your signal ratings as low as possible, protect your commlink really well, and don't use a DNI unless you have to.

So basically someone would have to be within signal range to hack someone's system, and they have to hack the commlink first to get into the person's PAN, right?
Isn't it more of a security risk for a runner to use wireless connectivity for their stuff?

Isn't it more of a security risk for a runner to use wireless connectivity for their stuff?
Yes it is
Thats why (most of )my Chars use it only sparsely and with as much as possible security(high Firewall,Analyse Program switching Frequenzies,etc)

with a safety Dance
Medicineman

Looks down to Fuchs' posting
Same goes for me

I consider skinlink (& wireless turned off) the standard mode for all pieces other than the commlink.

basically, the rules right now do not give people enough of a carrot to really use them...

Signal range is rather irrelevant most of the time, as you can node hop to any node connected to the Matrix. Say Jimmy the samurai in Seattle has a Commlink with a low signal, but he's standing next to a vending machine (that is connected to the Matrix). Say you're a hacker in Korea. The hacker connects to the "world wide matrix", navigating all the way to the vending machine. As the samurai is within signal range of the vending machine, the samurai is part of the Matrix and therefore the Korean hacker has access to his Node(s).

After that, let's assume the following topology: The Samurai has a Commlink, cybereyes, a cybergun and an Ares Predator with smartlink. The Commlink is the central Node of his PAN, and is the only device broadcasting a wireless signal. The cybereyes are connected to the Commlink (so he can share his vision with his teammates), the cybergun is NOT connected to the commlink and the Predator's smartlink is connected to his Commlink.

The hacker, if he successfully hacks the Commlink, can now access the Samurai's cybereyes or the smartlink. He would be able to do many things, ranging from giving it orders such as "fire a round" to "turn off eyes". He would not be able, in anyway, to access the cybergun and give it commands.

Here's a second topology. Let's assume the Samurai was careless and left his Cybergun wifi enabled. The hacker would be able to hack the cybergun directly, rather than passing through the Commlink. The cybergun probably has a lower firewall, and maybe no ICE at all, so it'd be a good idea to hack that instead of the commlink.


If Jimmy the Samurai was standing in the middle of the jungle (i.e. not next to a vending machine), the Korean hacker would NOT be able to node jump to him. The Samurai would be innaccessible. However, any teamamte standing say a few meters away from him (withing Signal range) would be able to access his Cybereyes and etc. Similarly, if a hostile hacker came withing close proximity of the Samurai (again, within Signal range), then he would be able to attempt to hack the samurai.

Once again Mr Backgammon,

Thank you for the response you have been most helpful!

-Josh

You could also utilize satellite linking to find nodes over a much wider signal radius that your own commlink can produce. If you're using the rules in Unwired, don't forget about the alteration to your Response attribute for using such a link (IIRC, it's at 50% effectiveness).