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Hacking and whatnot is ridiculously OP?

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Leevizer

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« on: <04-07-12/1559:41> »
I'm writing this on my modern commlink (nokia N8) and I'm tired, but this has bothered me for a few days now...

If I understand the SR4 Rulebook correctly, hackers can shut down Street Sam's wares, hack into their jackets (dunno why, but they can?), overheat/unload any weapon in the game, instantly steal any info from anyone and with some effort, the corps and such.

How do I stop hackers from running wild? Do I need to load my body up with IC? Say that her guns and jacket are offline or else they might get exploited? Or does the hacker need to bypass my commlink to muck up my wares?

I don't own unwired, and I find the rulebook explanations and examples confusing and make me wonder why I started playing sci-fi instead of a simple fantasy rpg. No cave nor lair was going to have a ton of security to bypass that you can't bypass unless you're a hacker or people with guns and stuff.

Blue_Lion

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« Reply #1 on: <04-07-12/1611:29> »
I'm writing this on my modern commlink (nokia N8) and I'm tired, but this has bothered me for a few days now...

If I understand the SR4 Rulebook correctly, hackers can shut down Street Sam's wares, hack into their jackets (dunno why, but they can?), overheat/unload any weapon in the game, instantly steal any info from anyone and with some effort, the corps and such.

How do I stop hackers from running wild? Do I need to load my body up with IC? Say that her guns and jacket are offline or else they might get exploited? Or does the hacker need to bypass my commlink to muck up my wares?

I don't own unwired, and I find the rulebook explanations and examples confusing and make me wonder why I started playing sci-fi instead of a simple fantasy rpg. No cave nor lair was going to have a ton of security to bypass that you can't bypass unless you're a hacker or people with guns and stuff.
Turn off all wi fi disable wi fi on your gun and repalce it with skin link. You can disable the wii fii on your cybeare with a street doc (most shadow runners do acording to main book) it is still attached to your nervs so you can still use it and unless you are linking it to your comlink makes it hard for a hacker to get it. You can also place an attack dog (agent) in your comlink invest in good fire walls (a data jack can run a fire wall as well) That whould make it hard for the hacker. Also hacking your cyber ware on the fly can be perty hard to do. Realy want to bug them shut off your comlink on runs and use another form of radio such as a micro transiver. If you are worried about hackers doing that puts you off their grid. realy if you dont need to have it on and you are worried about hackers dont have it on.

Mirikon

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« Reply #2 on: <04-07-12/2127:43> »
The signal range on smartlinks and cyberware means that a hacker isn't going to bother trying to hack the individual device. They will hack your PAN, and screw with you from there.

What can you do?
1) Get a hacker friend.
2) Pump up that Firewall.
3) Have an Analyze program running.
4) Get IC if you can afford it.
5) First sign of trouble, reboot.
6) Use encryption where you can.
Greataxe - Apply directly to source of problem, repeat as needed.

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Blue_Lion

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« Reply #3 on: <04-07-12/2132:13> »
The signal range on smartlinks and cyberware means that a hacker isn't going to bother trying to hack the individual device. They will hack your PAN, and screw with you from there.

What can you do?
1) Get a hacker friend.
2) Pump up that Firewall.
3) Have an Analyze program running.
4) Get IC if you can afford it.
5) First sign of trouble, reboot.
6) Use encryption where you can.
Most cyber ware does not have to be attached to your pan, turn off its wii fii and you just have to go in to get its soft ware upgrades. your smart gun has its own fire wall. And heaven forbit you do something like do runs where you want to be sneaky with it off.

ArkangelWinter

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« Reply #4 on: <04-07-12/2133:00> »
7) have small aerial drones or a few spirits dedicated to gerking anybody behind a computer terminal or immersed in VR in your OpZone.

Blue_Lion

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« Reply #5 on: <04-07-12/2230:37> »
7) have small aerial drones or a few spirits dedicated to gerking anybody behind a computer terminal or immersed in VR in your OpZone.
so your spirit kills every wage slave in the building? damn that might upset a corp or two.
« Last Edit: <04-07-12/2233:45> by Blue_Lion »

Mirikon

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« Reply #6 on: <04-07-12/2233:04> »
7) have small aerial drones or a few spirits dedicated to gerking anybody behind a computer terminal or immersed in VR in your OpZone.
so your spit kills every wage slave in the building? damn that might upset a corp or two.
Yeah, that's going to get you heavy Notoriety and Public Awareness VERY quick.
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Blue_Lion

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« Reply #7 on: <04-07-12/2236:26> »
I whould think so. Only way i can think to get it faster whould be my angry face scenoro take a semi truck to tralors a 14 light machine guns mounted on hidden ports off the semi trailors, with a drone with AV weapon in the last trailor go threw the takoma docks and drive by shooting at every ganger you see. Only faster way i can think of.

Lacynth40

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« Reply #8 on: <04-08-12/0047:33> »
The best defense against hackers, is to listen to your groups hacker. If your group doesn't HAVE a hacker, your group will be geeked soon anyway. Even the Sons of Sauron have a hacker at their beck and call... Also, yes, you are SHADOWrunners. When you're public, go ahead and blend in by linking all of your gear to your PAN like every other knucklehead. When you're on the run, you are a professional. Act like it. You do not need your group getting geeked because the security spider noticed the RFID tag in yer underoos broadcasting that you have the latest and greatest in genitalia mods from AZT. Especially on a Mitsuhama run... Go broadcast silent, shut down the PAN, link your cyberware with DNI, check for RFID's before the run, and for the love of the great spirit, read Unwired. They make it simple. Really simple.

And yeah, a cave with a bunch of ten by ten rooms with one orc and a treasure chest doesn't have a lot of high tech security. That's why they are different gaming genres. But, you still have a rogue checking for traps, right? Same thing. If you really don't like it, no one is forcing you to play it.
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ArkangelWinter

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« Reply #9 on: <04-08-12/0129:03> »
7) have small aerial drones or a few spirits dedicated to gerking anybody behind a computer terminal or immersed in VR in your OpZone.
so your spit kills every wage slave in the building? damn that might upset a corp or two.
Yeah, that's going to get you heavy Notoriety and Public Awareness VERY quick.

"Every" was a bit of a hyperbole. I'm just saying, spirits/drones on overwatch for hostile hackers helps, even if spirits are notoriously bad at understanding what hackers are up to.

Blue_Lion

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« Reply #10 on: <04-08-12/0132:59> »
7) have small aerial drones or a few spirits dedicated to gerking anybody behind a computer terminal or immersed in VR in your OpZone.
so your spit kills every wage slave in the building? damn that might upset a corp or two.
Yeah, that's going to get you heavy Notoriety and Public Awareness VERY quick.

"Every" was a bit of a hyperbole. I'm just saying, spirits/drones on overwatch for hostile hackers helps, even if spirits are notoriously bad at understanding what hackers are up to.
Also do hackers even use monitors i thaght it was all specs and implants.

vinnmun

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« Reply #11 on: <04-09-12/1304:45> »
Would it be safe to say anyhting that you can turn on or off can be hacked? Case in point, Wired Reflexes?
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Blue_Lion

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« Reply #12 on: <04-09-12/1342:26> »
Would it be safe to say anyhting that you can turn on or off can be hacked? Case in point, Wired Reflexes?
Any thing with a OS can be hacked and all cybor ware has a OS it is just a matter of the hacker getting to it.

Mirikon

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« Reply #13 on: <04-09-12/1711:35> »
Yes, wired reflexes can be hacked. Hacking wired reflexes doesn't actually let you do that much, other than, say, turning them off. And hacking them directly is really not worth it, when you can just hack a person's PAN, and control it from there.

Your two best defenses against a hacker (ignoring, for the moment, the crazy doomsday prepper talk) is to have as high an Analyze, Firewall, and IC as you can, and to have a hacker on your side, to keep the enemy hacker too busy to try hacking you.
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Blue_Lion

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« Reply #14 on: <04-09-12/1933:34> »
Yes, wired reflexes can be hacked. Hacking wired reflexes doesn't actually let you do that much, other than, say, turning them off. And hacking them directly is really not worth it, when you can just hack a person's PAN, and control it from there.

Your two best defenses against a hacker (ignoring, for the moment, the crazy doomsday prepper talk) is to have as high an Analyze, Firewall, and IC as you can, and to have a hacker on your side, to keep the enemy hacker too busy to try hacking you.
At the point where they have hacked your pan there are worse things they can do than afect link cyborware, most cybor ware is controled by neral conection so wii fii is mostly to update the software.  Every ones real problem with hackers are them messing with your AR in combat, lets see make 20 images of smart link cross hairs or flood the AR with max vibilty picks of a troll in a shower. Either of them will make it hard for you to shoot some one. Also they can try to track your home down threw it. Having your cybor ware hacked is a threat, but even if it is linked to your pan if can still see threw the hackers spoof atemts some times. If you are worried about beeing hacked the easest solution is to turn it off during runs. You are already breaking the law why you telling the whole world your curent sin while you do it.

 

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