comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

hacker’s handbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
90
Without that access, they can’t buy food or make money, along with a
thousand other essential things in life. If you threaten or take control
of a node or certain files—through a DOS attack or some sort of malware,
or anything, people will pay for the safe return of their goods.
This sort of criminal activity is usually labeled ransomware.
One specific and popular type of ransomware involves a hacker
penetrating a node’s defenses and then encrypting key files, usually
tied to a data bomb or some malware that will activate if someone
tries to decrypt the files without the correct passcode. Encryption
ransomware works best on individuals, particularly if the data files
are of a sensitive nature, because decryption programs are restricted
to corporate hackers and licensed freelance security consultants.
> In the spirit of the street finding its own uses for things, there
are a lot of tools and tricks that corps use to secure their own nodes
that can be turned around to prevent them from accessing them. My
favorite security trick is to install a passkey requirement on a node
and then reboot it, dumping all the current users. When they go back
to log on, they don’t have the passkey and get blocked.
> Slamm-0!
The corporations are well aware of ransomware and its repercussions,
so don’t be surprised if you’re on the receiving end
of it some time. I knew a Mr. Johnson for NeoNET that paid us
up front but encrypted the certified credstick and slapped some
IC on it as a form of security; we knew the Johnson would pay
because we could see the cred, but we couldn’t spend it until we
finished the run and he gave us the passcode to disarm the IC and
decrypt the cred. Sneaky bastard.
> A lot of data brokers turn around and sell the datafiles they buy
back to their original owners for a significant mark up. The nasty
ones sell the corp encrypted datafiles then charge them more for
the passcode to decrypt them.
> Cosmo
Hacker trickS
More than riggers, hackers focus on the virtual space of the
Matrix rather than the nitty-gritty infrastructure that supports it.
That’s not to say a hacker won’t take optical trunks and mesh networks
into account, but they’re less likely to be scanning the airwaves
or worry about it as long as they have a solid connection to the ‘trix.
Hacking cyberware
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that all that chrome doesn’t mean
jack shit without the software running it. That is, until you get an
interface problem and two pieces of ‘ware don’t want to talk to each
other—then it comes to the forefront of your mind. Nowadays, it’s
easier to hack cyberware than ever before, and shadowrunners should
pay close attention to how their implants are wired together.
Most cyberware is set up as peripheral nodes connected to
your PAN during implantation, and configured for open access so
that medtechs can access the implants quickly for diagnostics and
repair. Most internal implants are usually accessible with a lowlevel
wireless connection.
> Shadow clinics and street docs with a little programming expertise
can disable this wireless connection if the client asks, arrange for the
implant to send out false diagnostics, or even upgrade the software
without much trouble.
> Butch
> Okay, but does that mean that if I get into a fight with a hacker or
technomancer they can just reach out and turn off my cyberarm?
> Hard Exit
> Maybe, but probably not. Cyberarms and most implants that have
an exposed area on the body often require direct wired connections
through access ports and the like, not a wireless signal. If you’re
really worried about it, you should keep your cyberarm in hidden
mode—or better yet, turn it off. Not always the best option, but it
prevents hacking.
> Butch
Like any other device, implants are susceptible to viruses and
other malware. The devices most at risk to this sort of tampering
are those connected together through direct neural input
(DNI)—in other words, any implant that you can control with
a thought. To prevent a single virus or worm from infecting all
of their systems, many street samurai and other implant-heavy
runners front-load a high firewall on critical access points like
datajacks. If the malware can’t get past the datajack, it can’t infect
the rest of the DNI implants in your system.
> Cyberware hacking can work to your advantage too, though. Just
as an example, most people don’t realize that a smartlink is wireless.
That means you can send a command to your smartgun even
if you’re not holding it. And a hacker can spoof a command to that
smartgun as well.
> DangerSensei
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9