Welcome! These forums will be deactivated by the end of this year. The conversation continues in a new morph over on Discord! Please join us there for a more active conversation and the occasional opportunity to ask developers questions directly! Go to the PS+ Discord Server.

Hacking an Airlock

8 posts / 0 new

Last post

Thu, 2012-01-19 21:07

Azathoth

Hacking an Airlock

So I was just re-familiarizing myself with the airlock rules in Panopticon, and I noticed all the physical hacking of an airlock requires Hardware checks. I was thinking, though, couldn't you physically jack into the system and then hack the software using Infosec as usual? Just want to have it clear before an upcoming game, thanks!

Thu, 2012-01-19 21:31

OneTrikPony OneTrikPony's picture

Re: Hacking an Airlock

Airlocks, if they're open to vacuum or other deadly environments, might not be mesh enabled at all. If they do have mesh capability they would probably be 'slaved' to a very secure server in which case you'd have to hack the server to access the airlock software. In addition this is one device that is very likely connected to very few other systems and probably by a hardline at that. Airlocks between pressurized compartments probably don't need to be as secure. Even so, it would make my hacker character very uncomfortable to live on a station where airlocks could be hacked without major difficulty. Also I suspect that some airlocks might require Dual operators as well as permissions from a central security authority before the outer hatch of the lock will open.

—

Mea Culpa: My mode of speech can make others feel uninvited to argue or participate. This is the EXACT opposite of what I intend when I post.

Fri, 2012-01-20 10:28

Azathoth

Re: Hacking an Airlock

Right, i'm assuming they're completely hardwired and isolated, as it describes in panopticon. My question is couldn't you hardwire yourself into the airlock using access jacks (or even a grey box, I guess) and deploy some exploits on the internal computer to hack it, rather than using Hardware skills to (I assume this is how hardware works) basically hotwire it into opening. Both methods involve the same level of difficulty. You need to physically access the airlock in both cases. In fact, as written, the Hardware angle is only a 2 minute timeframe, so it's even quicker than (non-brute force) hacking. I just wondered why there was no mention of Infosec, like maybe I am misunderstanding how it works.

Fri, 2012-01-20 10:30

godmoney

Re: Hacking an Airlock

maybe it's all mechanical... like a good ole keypin door lock?

—

Semper Ubi Sub Ubi!?!

Fri, 2012-01-20 12:31

Elfface

Re: Hacking an Airlock

Or the enormous submarine wheels? I may be wrong, but doesn't breaking into a non-mesh door need Hardware and then Hacking anyway? One to connect up without tripping an alarm, and another to actually open it? Could theoretically make it two hardware checks.

Sat, 2012-01-21 11:18

Azathoth

Re: Hacking an Airlock

Ok, I guess a completely mechanical system would need hardware. I like that explanation. :) I guess I had been assuming that EVERYTHING in the future has some cpu component, but it makes sense for an airlock to just completely remove that vulnerability.

Sat, 2012-01-21 12:55

King Shere King Shere's picture

Re: Hacking an Airlock

A hacker should be able to lock airlocks through the mesh, as I am certain the airlocks would respond to emergency lockdown calls. Open them with pure mesh? Perhaps that could be done by hijacking a repairbot and order it to open the Airlock. My general thought is that most skills can do the task of another skill, but the more "off-topic" skill used, the more exotic elaborate & complicated course action is taken (with more complications that can go wrong).

—

[img]http://boxall.no-ip.org/img/tc_userbar.jpg[/img] [img]http://boxall.no-ip.org/img/exh_userbar.jpg[/img] [img]http://boxall.no-ip.org/img/argo_userbar.jpg[/img] [i]"To find fault is easy; to do better may be difficult."[/i] Plutarch

Sun, 2012-01-22 12:59

Dr. Black

Re: Hacking an Airlock

I would guess the rationale behind the hardware skill is that you need to get access to the electronics. There will be no port to plug in on the surface (at least none were you get access to the sensitive controls). A hacker needs to open the panel without alarm and find a way influence the control, possibly by tampering with some wires. There is no Infosec test, so I think there a no defences once you feed your orders directly into the airlock computer.