So how hackable are starships?

[Vanyon]

Just got to thinking last night about just how hackable starships and their systems might be.

I know in MGT their are programs for intrusion and security to do these things within the rules. So there are some rules for it there, however a PC with a computers skill of 1, using no intrusion program and just extending the task time a bit, managed to hack the system from the inside. Ok, this is not too bad as I made it rough infiltrating it, so he had to work for it. Other than that, had he been able to do it remotely, it would have been almost too easy for a PC with a skill of 2-3 with intrusion programs.

However is there anything to really prevent using communications suites to perform remote hacking attempts? Thinking back to the Star Trek episodes and the movie where they had the security code (or some such) for one of the vessels and used those to take remote control of the opposing vessel for a short time.

So has anyone else encountered this in game and came up with a good reason they would not be hackable externally? I imagine there is plenty of wireless tech involved in a starship considering they are TL 10+ to make.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

I've allowed it in my games, but it's not easy.

 

[Gadrin]

However is there anything to really prevent using communications suites to perform remote hacking attempts? Thinking back to the Star Trek episodes and the movie where they had the security code (or some such) for one of the vessels and used those to take remote control of the opposing vessel for a short time.

There's also plenty where they just fly up close and download the other guys database. So it often flies at the speed of the plot I've seen it in other shows too. Remember these guys have essentially mastered science but still have big gaping holes for the plot to get loose.

GURPS offers some devices to do this, but they're person sized and must be close. Nothing to say you can't get up close to a starship's hatch and
interrogate it with one of these thingy's although that's probably not how the device actually works. I'd say your average starship crew can't do it, but larger, more sophisticated groups can (megacorps, IISS, IN, etc). However it shouldn't shoot your game session in the foot. Exceptions to the rule should exist.

So has anyone else encountered this in game and came up with a good reason they would not be hackable externally? I imagine there is plenty of wireless tech involved in a starship considering they are TL 10+ to make.

Sure, the guys TURN THE THINGY OFF. Just because you have wireless access, doesn't mean you leave it on 24x7. Unless you need it 24x7. Reputation of certain worlds, starports might suggest alternative methods of doing business.

I found these while trolling the various Traveller books. These might not apply en masse but you might find it helpful or interesting.

SHIPBOARD SYSTEMS -- INTERNAL SECURITY


from Double Adventure #06 Night of Conquest p20: Entering the Scotian
Huntress: A palm lock keyed only to the palmprints of the ship's personnel
seals the ship. If the lock is damaged, a signal may be sent by communicator
to cause the computer to open the electronic locks on board.

from Adv 7 Broadsword: The ship's anti-hijack program will prove of some
help, but is not totally foolproof. The program works by monitoring the
location of all large living things aboard ship (by means of infrared sensors
to pick up slight rises in temperature, ultrasonic motion- detectors, and
sensors in the deck plates of certain vital areas which detect the weight of
a body) and sounding an alarm if certain parameters are met (if, for example,
a body suddenly appears in the drive room). The referee must determine the
effectiveness of this program in detecting the commandos, and any delays
which may occur in sounding the alarm. If, for example, the commandos jump
into the computer room, and disable the computer immediately, the alarm will
probably not sound.

from Book 2 Starships: Anti-hijack protects the ship against potential
takeovers. This program constantly monitors conditions within the starship,
and automatically locks the access doors to the bridge and controls when a
hijack situation occurs. Because this system is not foolproof, would-be
hijackers may gain access in spite of the program on a throw of 5 or less.

from Snapshot: The free trader Beowulf has just left Beck's World en route to
Enope with a full load of passengers and cargo. As preparations are made for
the deep space jump, the ship's computer is fully committed to generating a
flight plan - its anti-hijacking surveillance is temporarily suspended. The
crew works busily in the drive room and on the bridge, their attention
directed to their duties. No one realizes the impending situation.

>

 

[Zparkz]

Just got to thinking last night about just how hackable starships and their systems might be.

IMTU terminals that passengers use are connected to a dedicated computer which are not connected to the computer(s) that controls the starship and its systems.
The terminals are strictly menu driven, however search commands may be issued to search for news items and other types of information a liner may have in store for their passengers.

Exterior hacking prior to the Virus is not possible unless a datalink has been opened between the ship and the hacker. Such datalinks does not open by themselves.

However, there is a few angles of attacks that may succeed. In imperial space most starports will require some sort of telemetric communication with landing/docking ships. Other links may also be open and may be exploited by expert hackers that has knowledge about how starship data architecture is buildt up. With other words, not everyone can do this, even good ones. Inside information is needed.

 

[Gadrin]

Exterior hacking prior to the Virus

there's a key phrase. I never got into the Virus portion of Traveller (just don't have the books, not due to dislike) so I don't know exactly how this type of thing works in the Traveller Uni.

But there is a source. If you have access to that (and more importantly feel it's worthy of consideration) I think it must explain how VIRUS gets around to do it's thing.

All or some of that might be adaptable for some sort of IMTU ruleset.

I'll have to wander over to the http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Virus/TNE
and see what's what.

Your players could be the cause !

>

 

[flykiller]

However is there anything to really prevent using communications suites to perform remote hacking attempts?

sure. isolate external comms from internal command and control. might even be a legal requirement, don't want teenagers hacking into every ship in the starport and flying them around like model airplanes.

manual operation is a good defense too. can't light off a power plant unless an engineer manually turns valves and pushes buttons, can't vector a ship unless a pilot manually operates a joystick, can't fire a weapon unless a gunner manually engages the turret.

doesn't mean though that there won't be bugs, bad design, repairs that create weaknesses, etc. the economic pressure to automate and computerize will be strong.

 

[Renaissance Man]

Ships will probably have a "lock" mode that sequesters the computer from any external or wireless communications. Certainly, this would be the case in combat, where electronic warfare is an active threat.

But when a ship is exchanging information with system authorities for docking, or when it is linked to another computer for whatever purpose, it's vulnerable. You have to have a specific purpose for hooking up to an internet or computer, however. Ship captains will be aware of the inherent danger of exposing the brain of their multi-million credit ship to the outside. Take the space shuttle, or the hubble telescope. Why would they be connected to the global internet? The risk far outweighs the potential benefit.

There may be more creative ways to transmit a hack into the ships computer (for instance, the asking the computer to analyze certain sensor or communication data might be a way to introduce a virus or worm.)

You might also be interested in this thread on stealing a starship. Much of the same concerns will apply, and it's an excellent thread IMHO.

 

[Maladominus]

Give a PC a skill like Computer-5, and anything can happen...

 

[far-trader]

Give a PC a skill like Computer-5, and anything can happen...

...except when they're up against thousands of years of NPCs with Computer-8 writing the firewalls :smirk:

Seriously. Anything the PC may try. Whatever "skilz" they may have. It's nothing someone else hasn't already tried in the history of the Imperium and that someone hasn't written a fairly foolproof stop for.

Now if the crew of a starship is stupid enough to not have an anti-hijack program suite, or the PC catches them at a vulnerable time when it's offline, then they have a shot. Any other time though, not a chance in hell of them even not being detected. In my opinion.

 

[tbeard1999]

...except when they're up against thousands of years of NPCs with Computer-8 writing the firewalls :smirk:

Seriously. Anything the PC may try. Whatever "skilz" they may have. It's nothing someone else hasn't already tried in the history of the Imperium and that someone hasn't written a fairly foolproof stop for.

Now if the crew of a starship is stupid enough to not have an anti-hijack program suite, or the PC catches them at a vulnerable time when it's offline, then they have a shot. Any other time though, not a chance in hell of them even not being detected. In my opinion.

I agree. Unlike early 21st Earth, computers in the Imperium are ancient tech. In addition, the rate of technological development is far slower in the Imperium than it is today. With a far less fluid situation, I suspect that hacking is far less common.

 

[Gadrin]

...except when they're up against thousands of years of NPCs with Computer-8 writing the firewalls :smirk:

< PC reads HUD screen >

"Crap! We don't have the correct plugin to download-hack this database! I hate that friggin' slow-a**ed xboat system!!!"




>

 

[whartung]

Finally, consider that the "anti-hijack" program may well not be a program at all, but rather a device -- like a burglar alarm. For example, I just bought a nice sprinkler timer for my lawn. No doubt there is some computer in there managing the complicated task of killing my lawn. But it may well not be particularly "hackable".

Maybe if I have physical access to the unit.

Regarding an A-H program, it will more likely be the sensors themselves that are "hacked" or spoofed, rather than the system itself.

 

[jfetters]

I agree. Unlike early 21st Earth, computers in the Imperium are ancient tech. In addition, the rate of technological development is far slower in the Imperium than it is today. With a far less fluid situation, I suspect that hacking is far less common.

I respectfully disagree.

To a certain extent, computers are pretty commonplace in 21st century life. In the 57th century, their use would be completely transparent (more or less depending on the tech level of course). From an every day "joe user" perspective, a computer is a box with a keyboard and a couple of apps and who cares what goes on in the weeds?

Take the TiVo, for example. A Linux PC with a video card and a hard drive. Do you think that most of the folks who buy the thing know that? No, it's an appliance with a customized and specialized interface. People who know how can get to the underlying mechanics and muck about (voiding the warranty, but there you go. ). Same goes for an XBox or Playstation.

I think the same will be true in the 57th century, albeit with a different set of mechanics. People will use software derived interfaces to some kind of hardware in order to make something happen, whether it is cook a roast, watch a holovid, turn up the heat or jump into another system. Characters with a high enough level of computer training should at least be able to navigate through a starship's computer system for the purpose of reconfiguration and/or manipulation given the proper level of access. If this is freely given, then not a problem, but gaining other access is where the elite levels of computer skill comes into play (if you are talking brute-force).

Otherwise a character can use carousing skills to employ social networking to gain that level of access. Not necessarily the same character with the computer talents.

 

[Gadrin]

Regarding an A-H program, it will more likely be the sensors themselves that are "hacked" or spoofed, rather than the system itself.

I don't know, every Star Trek episode with security doors, you either:

1. Shoot the panel next to the door which opens it.

or

2. Open the unlocked panel next to the door and pull out a glow-stick and
that completely overrides security.


:rofl:

>

 

[far-trader]

I don't know, every Star Trek episode with security doors, you either:

1. Shoot the panel next to the door which opens it.

Or, in some shows, depending on what the character needs, shooting the buttons will lock the door. Must be in how you shoot it I guess

Maybe if the door lock pad is really smart you can just threaten it...

"Listen door, I'll give you to the count of 3 to open or I'll blast your keypad! Then I want you to lock this door and not open it for anyone else, or your keypad at the next junction gets it."

:rofl:

 

[Ambassadore G'car]

First of all, I think that shooting the keypad next to a door is more likely to lock it in whatever the default mode is. Basically, you're just destroying the electronics that control it. It's like shooting the windshield wiper control on your car. It's unlikely that this will cause them to go crazy across the windscreen but very likely that it will stop them from working.

Although I'm not so sure that every trick would have been tried and accounted for by computer experts with high skills. Computers themselves would change over time and so would programming. Again to use a car analagy. Stealing a car 50 years ago was pretty easy if you could break in (most cars just had a starter button). Now, security is more complex but cars do get stolen.

 

[Gadrin]

Re-watching my Voyager DVDs last week, the one where Barkley goes overboard in his obsession with contacting Voyager, gets him banned from the Communications HQ building.

Naturally when he gives his code and it gets rejected, he simply kneels down and un-does the unlocked/unsealed circuit control panel and gets in like someone left a key under the mat.

:rofl:

At the end of Relics, Geordi and Scotty get beamed out of a starship WHILE the shields are up.

And my favorite: Captain Archer and T'Pol are in 21st century Detroit and they start a car by using the their 22nd century tri-corder. Later on when being attacked by German Stukas, of course they don't do anything to disrupt the cheapo, prop-craft with any of their gizmos aboard their sophisticated starship.


>

 

[Vanyon]

Wow, thank you all for the responses.

I have basically been using the idea that these ships are very tech heavy beasts. They would have to be considering they are star ships. So computers of various sorts run everything. With that many systems ,and people being people still even in the far future of Traveller, they are going to go for ease of use. So remote operation and automated operation and programs running limited AI's would be everywhere. They would be all about trying to make them easy to use, which would make them vulnerable.

I would imagine hulls would be proof from wireless assault. However without being familiar with what other protocols or kinds of EM frequencies they would be broadcasting on, I am not sure if it would penetrate the hull. So most attacks are going to come through the Communications suites, external electronics (like a biometric lock at the external airlock door), etc... Sure the on board computer network will be tiered with various levels of network security and bottlenecks etc... but that is best glossed over with the A-H Programs and Security programs. However yes it is possible to turn off the device or the wireless connectivity, the point is most people have it on all the time because it is invisible to them and they are either not that paranoid or hope their security programs will protect them. Or even the local law.

What kind of gives me an idea is that I am hoping that tech levels will help. Communications protocols for computers and different OS's have evolved over time and can handle more robost protocols. So maybe the tech levels in the computers should be taken in to consideration. A low TL computers probably wont even be initially compatible with a higher TL OS? That or I have to live with a scenario like inthe movie 'Independance Day' where Jeff Goldblum's character uses a Mac to interface with a completely alien OS to upload a virus... :nonono:

 

[jfetters]

Tech level and skills levels. If you are talking about remote access to a starship, a character would also have to have a decent level of communications skill to account for the transmission software and protocols.

And that is only if the ship is relatively close. Far distances would be reliant on speed-of-light, but it might make an interesting scenario.

 

[Hemdian]

My Cr0.02 ...

Q) How hackable are starships?
A) How hackable is the fuel management system in your car?

Also, the whole WiFi thing: starships are made of metal. Often denser than ordinary steel. The only WiFi connections on a ship will be local to the room you're in (ie. Bluetooth equivalent).