comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

aLertS
Another important line of defense in any system is the intruder
alert. A node under an active alert is “aware” of a specific
access ID that has hacked or is trying to hack his way into the
system. If a system is made up of multiple nodes, an alert in one
node puts all nodes on alert against the same intruder.
A node on alert gains a +4 bonus to its Firewall against the
intruder specified in the alert. Additionally, all privileges involving
the node itself (such as deactivating programs or agents, rebooting,
editing files, etc.) are no longer automatically allowed to the
trespasser, who must either use the Hacking skill to perform such
actions or Spoof a command from a legitimate user that still has
her permissions intact.
The young hacker, /dev/grrl, has hacked herself an
admin account, but she glitches on a roll and an active
alert ensues. While she normally would have been able
to Edit the node’s access log without rolling, she now must
make an Opposed Hacking + Edit Test against the node’s
Firewall + System to do so.
An alert is most often automatically triggered by a node’s
Firewall. Additionally, any user, agent, or IC with a security or
admin account may initiate an alert against an intruder with a
Free Action. When an alert is triggered, a node executes its alert
response configuration (see below).
alert response configuration
One of the most important duties of the spider is configuring
the script that a node automatically runs when an active alert
Unwired
is initiated. The script is called the alert response configuration
(ARC). The ARC is automatically executed the moment the alert
is triggered. Unfortunately for the spider, the response a node
can offer on its own is limited; system software is not designed to
handle intrusion, and relies on spiders and IC. A node will execute
its ARC only once per active alert triggered, and it will only run it
against the icon that triggered the alert.
The spider has a number of options when configuring the
ARC, but may only choose one. If a node’s ARC is not known, or
needs to be generated randomly, use the Random Alert Response
table, p. 223, SR4.
Launch IC: With this configuration, the node immediately
runs one IC program. The particular program that is launched is
chosen by the spider when the ARC is configured.
Scramble Security Hacker: When an alert is initiated with
this configuration, the node will contact one designated spider or
security hacker specialist (chosen in advance) and report the alert.
It will also automatically log the spider or hacker onto the node,
opening a subscription; this does not require a Log On action by
the hacker.
Terminate Connection: The node immediately makes a
single attempt to log the attacker out of the system (see Terminate
Connection, p. 223, SR4) when the alert is activated. When this
test is made, the +4 bonus to Firewall against the icon bearing the
access ID of the one that triggered the alert is included in the dice
a Brief HiStorY of crYptograpHY
While cryptography has been studied since
ancient times, the mathematical science of finding
strong encryption techniques and ways to attack
them really took off during World War II. In the
following decades, a number of strong encryption
algorithms were developed. Attacks on these methods
were difficult, and most required far longer than
a metahuman lifetime to perform. Encryption was a
safe and reliable way to secure information.
Then, in 2065, a researcher at the Universität
Stuttgart named Heinrich Andrews published an
academic paper on a new method of attacking
encryption. The paper described a technique that
utilized the computational power of the latest
generation of processors along with a breakthrough
mathematical algorithm. It seemed that
encryption techniques were no longer as secure as
they once were.
Despite attempts by various corporate and
government agencies to suppress it, Dr. Andrews’s
paper was circulated quickly around the Matrix
shadow community. Shortly thereafter, a new
generation of Decrypt programs hit the Matrix,
all using the freshly dubbed “Heinrich Maneuver”
to speed up cryptanalysis attacks.
Research into newer and stronger encryption
continues, but there have as yet been no new developments.
For now, at least, the days of reliable
encryption are gone.
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9
67
systeM security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .