The Matrix Guide for Dummies, Part II

Public and Private Access Systems

In our second installment of The Matrix Guide for Dummies, we will examine a number of public and private access systems and the types of data they generally contain. The systems detailed below are meant to be used as guidelines in your campaign, and give the decker a better idea as to what sort of data is available and where one would go to get it.

Public Datanets are those Datanets where the data is not considered vital enough to even bother attempting to secure. Thus vast amounts of data is available through the public data nets with minimal effort. Semi-Private Datanets are those datanets that are open to the public (or some designated section of the population) but have a small access fee for usage. Private systems are those systems that are not accessible to the public.

These system archetypes are designed as a brief overview of the types of matrix nodes available and the types of data and security they normally contain. You should alter the level of security to fit within the structure of your own campaign. Please note that no security level is listed on public access systems, as this data is considered part of the public domain and thus does not require any skill to access.

Very important corporate executives, high ranking government officials and covert operatives will often have much if not all of the data about them removed from the Matrix Public Access systems, and information such as addresses, LTGs and such are usually stored on Secure or Ultrasecure servers. If the person in question is in the public eye, some information might be obtained from Newsfaxes, but most of the rest of the data will be on private nets. Use your best judgment to decide what data is available about an individual and where it might be stored.

Examples of Public Data Nets

Matrix Node Classification: Public Library

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Name of Subscriber, Email of Subscriber, Books Downloaded (Date Time Stamped), Last On (Date Time Stamped)
Services Available: Allows users to setup an account with their Name and email address and to download books in either standard text, trideo or in some cases interactive simsense format.

Matrix Node Classification: White Pages

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Name of Subscriber, Email of Subscriber, LTG#s and address (if listed)
Services Available: Allows users locate either an address or LTG # of anyone listed. Note that many higher placed corporate executives and the majority of the really will not be listed in this directory.

Matrix Node Classification: Yellow Pages

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Name of Business, Email of Business, LTG#s and address
Services Available: Allows users locate either an address or LTG # of any business listed. Many businesses also maintain a public access matrix node for Public Relations purposes, to announce new products and advertise for their business.

Matrix Node Classification: Real Estate Listings

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Name of Realtor, Address of Real Estate for Sale, Description of Real Estate, Price Listings, Availability information.
Services Available: Allows users locate Real Estate for rent or for sale. Search criteria can be done on specific Realtors, locations or address. Real Estate can be rented or purchased online.

Matrix Node Classification: High School or College

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Names of Alumni, Alumni scholastic and athletic achievements, GPAs, Current Events, Yearbook pictures and text, Class Schedules, Administrator listings, Student Directory (with photos & email addresses)
Services Available: Allows users to browse and obtain information about current students, faculty or alumni. Also contains advertisements and schedules for school events.

Matrix Node Classification: Consumer Products Catalog

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Products available from corporation, prices and pictures
Services Available: Order products online: Must provide Name, Email address and a physical address for them to be shipped to.

Matrix Node Classification: Corporate Public Relations Node

Security: Public Access
Standard Data: Description of basic corporate structure, mission statements, coming consumer products announcements, job listings
Services Available: Apply for employment

Semi-Private And Subscription Systems

Matrix Node Classification: MageNet

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Mages Only, Subscription Fee
System Difficulty: Easy to Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Green to Orange
Standard Data: Spell Formulas, Spell Design Hints & Libraries, Conjuring Libraries, data on Paranormal Animals
Services Available: MageNet is a net specifically designed for use by mages/shamans to trade spell formula or information about the awakened world. Spell formula are usually offered for sale although some are posted in the public domain. Subscription: 2000 Nuyen per month for basic access, surcharges on use of conjuring or design databases equal to 1/10th the cost of the actual library. Libraries available will generally range from rating 2 to rating 8.
Notes: MageNet has an excellent turtle interface available for those without a datajack

Matrix Node Classification: ShadowLand

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Shadowrunners Only, Subscription Fee
System Difficulty: Easy to Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Green to Red
Standard Data: Local shadowrunning news and events, conversations between runners, “brag sheets” to help a runner get work, Fixers looking for new runners
Services Available: Find a fixer and deal with your fixer online, Secure channels available for holding meets in the matrix, private email accounts available and email drop boxes available. It’s also a good place to find a decker if you need one, though most of the deckers that will work for people they don’t know are relatively inexperienced.
Subscriptions: 1000 Nuyen per month
Notes: Shadowland has a tendency to switch LTGs often to prevent wannabes from gaining access, or the local government from finding them. Subscribers are usually notified of LTG changes in advance via email.

Matrix Node Classification: NewsFax

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Subscription Fee
System Difficulty: Easy to Average
Matrix Node Rating: Blue to Green
Standard Data: Current events for local area, National and International news.
Services Available: Subscribe to Newsfax: Must leave Name & Email Address. Please note that back issues of Newsfaxes are generally stored on a public access server. The subscription price allows you to receive the current Newsfax at your email address, to look at old Newsfaxes is free.
Subscription Rates: Varies, usually 10 nuyen to 100 nuyen per month, depending on size and content

Matrix Node Classification: Security Products Catalog

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Valid Security End User Certificate Required
System Difficulty: Easy to Average
Matrix Node Rating: Green or Orange
Standard Data: Catalog of security grade weapons, cyberware and equipment
Services Available: Place orders online: Requires Valid Security End User Certificate.

Matrix Node Classification: Military Products Catalog

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Valid Military End-User Certificate Required
System Difficulty: Average or Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Green to Red
Standard Data: Catalog of Military grade weapons, cyberware and equipment
Services Available: Place orders online: Requires valid address and Valid Military End User Certificate

Matrix Node Classification: Online-Legal Database

Security: Semi Private Access
Restrictions: Subscription
System Difficulty: Easy to Average
Matrix Node Rating: Blue to Green
Standard Subscription Fees: 500 Nuyen per month
Standard Data: Legal precedents, cases and legal terms dictionary
Services Available: Allows users to easily access regulations and laws currently enforced by the local government. This system is generally used by lawyers, though anyone can subscribe.

Private Systems

Matrix Node Classification: Decker Catalog

Security: Private Access
Restrictions: Shadowrunners Only, Deckers Only, Subscription Fee
System Difficulty: Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Green to Red
Standard Data: This is usually a sub-node of Shadowland, a clearing house for illegal programs and hardware used by deckers.
Services Available: Order hardware or software online. Usually requires full payment in certified cred upfront, and the user must have a subscription to the local Shadowland and be able to access it.

Matrix Node Classification: Corporate/Government Secure Server

Security: Private Access
Restrictions: Corporate Employees Only, Data Restricted by Security Level
System Difficulty: Easy to Average
Matrix Node Rating: Blue to Orange
Standard Data: These servers generally contain what the corporation or government considers to be low level data, such things as personnel files, building layouts for non-secure facilities, schedule delivers and maintenance, building security for non-secure sites, government & corporate records of a non-sensitive nature.

Matrix Node Classification: Corporate/Government Financial Server

Security: Private Access
Restrictions: Corporate Employees Only, Data Restricted by Security Level, Execs & Accounting Only
System Difficulty: Average to Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Green to Red
Standard Data: Bank account information, credit reports, financial information about corporate or government concerns.

Matrix Node Classification: Corporate/Government UltraSecure Server

Security: Private Access
Restrictions: Corporate Employees Only, Data Restricted by Security Level, Higher Level Execs/Researchers Only
System Difficulty: Average to Hard
Matrix Node Rating: Orange to Red
Standard Data: Same as Corporate/Government Secure server, but this data usually pertains to secure corporate/government areas such as research sites, military bases, storage facilities with very important/expensive items, or data on very important personnel such as top level executives or covert operatives
Notes: Ultra secure systems will usually have security deckers on overwatch in addition to normal ICE and other security measures.

Accessing Various Systems

Public Access Nodes are generally run on Blue or Green Matrix nodes, with classified data and no difficulty level, as the information is in the public domain, although they may have Easy or Average security in the CPU itself to prevent the net from being crashed by would be hackers. Semi Private systems are usually subscriber only systems and generally run on Blue to Orange nodes depending on how successful the service happens to be. They generally have an easy to average difficulty level depending on how much they charge for the data in question. Inexpensive Data is usually easy to average difficulty level, expensive data is usually hard difficulty level. Private Systems are generally run on green to red matrix nodes. Unclassified data is usually easy to medium difficulty level, classified data is usually a hard difficulty level.

Examples of Use

Count Zero, an up and coming young decker, has just recently signed on with a new shadowrunning team. The team has been assigned to extract a research scientist from Fuchi systems. Count Zero decides to start with a low level data search on the matrix of public access systems, using the man’s full name and a digital image provided by the Johnson.

Consulting the above list of public access systems, the GM decides that Count Zero’s search has turned up the man’s high school and college education, the newsfaxes he subscribes to, the type of material he accesses from the public library and an LTG listing and address that are in the corporate archeology.

Count Zero learns that the man graduated from high school with a 4.0 GPA and did not play sports or participate in any extracurricular activities. He was awarded a scholarship to MITT, where he studied biology. He graduated MITT at the top of his class, and once again no extracurricular activities or fraternity was noted in his records. His public data net search did not turn up any indication that the man has ever had a speeding ticket, or even a parking ticket. He’s never been married, and also subscribes to a matrix dating service, and though his account is checked frequently he has apparently not had much success with it.

His public search also tells him that their target for the extraction drives a Ford Americar, eats a lot of take out food and most all of his orders for products/services are placed from work. The Count decides that this is a good place to start, and decides he would like to access the man’s personnel file at Fuchi to obtain more information on him.

This requires the Count to make a run against Fuchi. The GM decides that the personnel file would be held on a Corporate Secure Server, and that the security will therefore be Average / Green. The Count is once again successful, and learns that the target has worked for Fuchi since he graduated from college, he now also has a current address and LTG# that are different from the ones listed in the public datanet. The address listed here is for a secure facility that the man was transferred to 3 months ago according to his personnel file; so the Count now knows the target’s current location and his work history with Fuchi. The personnel file also confirms that the man is single and has no dependents. The Count downloads this information, then carefully removes those entries in the log files that indicate the file was accessed, so Fuchi’s security will not know that someone downloaded this man’s personnel file. After removing all record of his accessing the system, The Count jacks out.

The Count then decides he wishes to find out what type of security is on-site at this installation, and obtain information about what type of research the target has been working on. The GM decides that this is a top secret installation, and that all of this data would be secured on a corporate secure server with Orange / Hard ratings.

The Count is not so lucky this time. He does manage to get a brief overview of security at the site, but is attacked by some heavy duty ICE and decides discretion is the better part of valor and jacks out before finishing his run. Fortunately for the Count and his team, he was not searching specific data about the target, only information on the facilities security itself. They can be reasonably certain that Fuchi is still unaware of the extraction attempt at this point. Had he been accessing files specifically related to the target and not had time to alter the system log files before jacking out, Fuchi would undoubtedly realize something was up and probably increase the man’s personal security.

The Count now relays all of this information to the team’s leader, BJ. BJ decides that the security at the research facility is too extensive to attempt an extraction. Instead she decides on a different approach. She contacts the target’s matrix dating service, as all of the data indicates that he is a lonely bachelor in search of a companion. Using the data obtained from the public datanets, she composes a short fictional letter introducing herself and provides a picture of a rather lovely young women to accompany her false bio.

Realizing that Fuchi’s internal security might also be monitoring this man’s activities, she has The Count setup a false SIN and other bogus information in the public datanets so that if Fuchi does look into this fictional person’s past there is a past there to look into. She also has The Count access setup an email drop box at a dummy corporation so that the target can contact her and hopefully arrange a date.

Fortunately for BJ and her team Fuchi’s security doesn’t become aware of their deception until it is too late. The target agrees to meet BJ for an intimate rendezvous at a nice restaurant. Now rather than having to deal with all of the security at the research facility, all BJ and her team need to worry about is whatever personal security the man may have assigned to him, and the security at the restaurant.

Authors Notes

This article is meant to be used as a guideline for some of the systems you might normally encounter in the matrix. The type of systems and data available are far too extensive to list, so it is up to the individual GM to decide what systems exist in his/her campaign and what types of security are involved in accessing them. These systems are merely meant as examples to help flesh out the Matrix in your campaign. I hope you enjoy them.

Prologue

Next Weeks Matrix Guide for Dummies will present an in depth look at System Identification Numbers, how they are created or deleted and their functionality within the Matrix. As always, any comments, questions or suggestions are welcomed.

The Matrix Guide for Dummies Part II