comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

You also need to choose the Matrix Attributes for the
nodes in the system. For simplicity, you can assign identical
Attributes to all nodes, or you can “personalize” each node’s
ratings. A system’s average Matrix Attributes will be based on
the level of importance of the system. See the Matrix Entity
Ratings sidebar for ideas about what a node’s average Attributes
should be.
The gamemaster decides that each dome will be
capable of running independently, in case of a hull
breach in one of the other domes, so each dome will
have its own node. One of the nodes will double as the
administrative node, one as the science and medical
node, one as the engineering node, and one as the control
node for all of the various drones used for farming.
The others will be used by personnel for entertainment
and other utilities.
All of the nodes will be connected via fiber optic cable,
since the water around each dome will make wireless signals
nearly useless. She adds a node that is connected via a
fiber optic cable in the facility’s surface tether to the rest of
the Matrix, used as a chokepoint.
The facility is important, but it is not vital, so the
gamemaster assigns Matrix Attributes of 3 or 4 to each
node, as she deems appropriate.
Sculpting
The sculpting of a system is almost always determined by
the one footing the bill. However, good management practices
suggest that the sculpting be determined by those who most
often use the node. This usually falls to a nodes administrator,
or to a consensus of users.
When choosing the sculpting of a node, consider both the
users of the node and the purpose for which it is designed. The
users will want to work in a comfortable environment and be able
to easily perform their duties.
The facility belongs to Aztechnology, so the gamemaster
decides that their logo will be prominent in all nodes.
To help counteract the claustrophobia of dome life, the
VR sculpting is an outdoor area, complete with weather
and fresh air, where users are allowed to fly. Controls for
various subsystems are contained in trees, rocks, and other
natural features.
Security allocation
As has been mentioned, most Matrix systems are intended
for other endeavors than security. Most of its assets will be allocated
to those purposes. Generally speaking, only ten to
twenty-five percent of a system’s resources (mostly its persona
limits and processor load) will be dedicated to defense, including
remote spiders and IC (which mostly take up processor load).
Particularly secure or sensitive nodes will often increase this allocation
to around fifty percent.
Note that this allocation is for passive security only. During
active alerts, all of a node’s available resources are often taken up
in the defense as spiders deploy IC and programs.
Unwired
Matrix entitY ratingS
The average Matrix attributes of a system
are almost always a function of the owner’s resources,
professionalism, and influence. A high
school club is not going to have the resources
of an international bank. One way to choose the
average Matrix Attributes of a system is to determine
the professionalism of the entity sponsoring
the node.
Unprofessional (rating 1-2): These nodes
tend to be cheap or cobbled-together bits of
hardware and software. They are run by hobbyists,
kids, small or medium-sized street gangs,
and the like. These nodes are unimportant,
which ironically gives them a psychological layer
of security.
professional (rating 3-4): These nodes
make up the bulk of the Matrix. Shops, small
to medium businesses, contractors, organized
crime, political parties, government offices,
and other groups make up this level of professionalism.
These groups may have something
to protect, but nothing that is of life-threatening
importance.
Highly professional (rating 5-6): This level
is reserved for megacorps, major governments,
militaries, and individuals and organizations that
are very rich, very powerful, or both. They are
serious about their Matrix systems, and an intrusion
at one of them can cost millions of nuyen.
Particularly sensitive sites can have Matrix attribute
ratings greater than 6.
The gamemaster determines that the system can afford
to have each node have its own IC patrolling, and
another IC program loaded but not running.
Spiders
Any facility that employs security will most likely have at
least one spider. Some will only have one or more spiders, relying
on the spiders’ drones and devices in the real-world environment
rather than hired muscle to cover physical security. For the most
part, a facility will employ one spider for every thirty to fifty
other personnel, or about one per squad of physical security,
or one per two or three nodes. The Professional Rating of the
spiders is usually very close to the highest System rating of the
nodes in the network.
The gamemaster decides that three spiders would
be about right for they system, given the number of personnel
and nodes. She uses the sample spiders from this
chapter, making the Head of Matrix Security a Security
Consultant, and the other two Professional Spiders. For
style, she decides that the three spiders use a “ship’s bells”
style of taking duty shifts.
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9
75
systeM security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .