Hacking Question

[smurf]

If some has a HUD vision either through eyes or a helmet what is needed to hack into the feed?

My understanding is another comms device with a bucket of hacking cryptographic programs to crack the HUD's encryption to allow the hacker to send false or other data or to see what the HUD operator is doing.

Am I missing something?

Another possibility is how to set an encryption level. My instinct is to set it at 20 and anything 'better' is above that.

[ericthered]

Don't ask about the display. You may as well use the word "Phone", "Monitor", or "Speakers". Ask about how the data gets to the display. Is is externally wired, sent through internal wires (for full cyborg effect), transmitted wirelessly from devices all over the wearer, or part of a unit network? That's the signal you are going to enter through, and it will effect how you hack in.

Also, seeing what's going on is different from sending false data. seeing what's going on is the first thing you'll do if you break the encryption. You'll need a way to fully interrupt the device sending the data or reroute were its getting the data from in order to send false info, and that requires having either good control over the connection or control over the device sending the data.

As a note, having hardware access tends to make hacking a lot easier. And if the HUD isn't using wireless communication with the sensors or computer that feeds it, or talking with another device, the hack will require access to the hardware.

I hope that helps.

[smurf]

Ok

I was trying to be not so complicated.

If a unit of soldiers/Police/mercenaries/organised criminals are using a HUD net work, that as seen in a lot of scifi, is linked to a control room/vehicle etc. There is a broadcast feed.

As you correctly noted, the hacker will have to enter the data stream.

From UT46-7

Basic Encryption needs a Complexity 8 device to hack it. No extra cost

Secure Devices need a Complexity 10 device to hack it. Requires $500 for each device in the net work. Gun, HUD and Control.

Therefore most agencies with huge numbers will go for the cheaper alternative and not have the super expensive stuff.

For the most secure stuff are the Quantum Comms but have a pitiful range or broadcost area.

If the hacker has a broadcast 'wifi' ability, this is all that is needed to attempt a hack into a network?

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by smurf

If the hacker has a broadcast 'wifi' ability, this is all that is needed to attempt a hack into a network?

They will need to spoof the signal (convince the receivers via hack) that their signal is the correct one and jam* the original signal.

It is not nearly as simple† as Shadowrun likes to make it out to be, especially if your trying to keep both the units on the ground and the network hub controller in the dark that this is happening.‡


* Which can be as 'easy' as having a much stronger broadcast than the original signal.
† Admittedly SR's way can be more 'fun'... it just isn't very realistic.
‡ Though if you don't care if the base controller figures out they're being jammed, it get's easier, see above * note.

[(E)]

Van Eck phreaking deals with determining what an electronic device is doing based of the electromagnetic noise it produces.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Eck_phreaking

[smurf]

From what I can gather then.

The Hacker needs to gain control of the the Control feed first.

Once this feed is hacked the hacker then can pursue the targets in the HUD matrix.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by smurf

From what I can gather then.

The Hacker needs to gain control of the the Control feed first.

Once this feed is hacked the hacker then can pursue the targets in the HUD matrix.

Pursue what targets? If you've taken over the control feed, you don't need to compromise the HUD sets themselves to send them data and receive data from them.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Pursue what targets? If you've taken over the control feed, you don't need to compromise the HUD sets themselves to send them data and receive data from them.

Well, you don't need to compromise the HUD sets to access the data they'd be expecting to send and receive over the control feed. If they're also being used for data on other channels, you can't do anything about the other channels without either compromising those other channels (some of which are likely to short hardware linkages and basically uncrackable) or compromising the computer built into the HUD. Though controlling the control feed may be very helpful for cracking the other machines.

Incidentally, spoofing a machine without first knocking it off the air will probably not work for very long; "someone else is trying to be me" is pretty obvious.

Also, none of this happens in real time. It takes an hour to crack basic encryption in UT. That's cinematically fast (typical encryption protocols are set up to require centuries of computer time with same-era computers, and you mostly don't brute force crack them, you rely on bad user practices to make cracking them unnecessary), but still slow enough to be combat irrelevant unless you are involved in an extremely extended operation or run into the same group twice.

[trechriron]

What TL?

If you have quantum computing, and quantum based encryption, it could literally be impossible (at least you couldn't hack their comms without them knowing about it). However, if you have just quantum computers without quantum encryption, then a quantum computer gets +5 (IIRC) to break standard encryption. :D Evil stuff...

If we're talking TL9/10 radio? Then you hack the network. Once you get in, you can a) view the data or b) make another roll to "spoof" the network and replace/modify data.

The spoof roll should be opposed vs. the operators Electronics Communications, Electronics Security or Computer Operations (I would use the highest skill...). I may have messed up the previous skill names, but you get the idea. :D

[smurf]

Quantum encryption is pretty much the Cosmic Power of encryption.

Of course cost is an issue. Nice to have these but wow are they expensive btw do you need it hardened and lighter too?

I was thinking TL10.

Judging by the Complexity power ups it is possible to run a Comp 9 device with a high capacity too. Which is like 30 Comp 8 programs running?