Why am I posting this in other sci-fi instead of fanfiction? While I'm not trying to pass this off as canon or anything stupid like that, I'm just wondering if the author's interpretation the Cylons' hacking abilites bears any merit, in the realm of sci-fi trying to attempt realism:
It seems like quite interesting technobabble. Someone commented on it, and the author responded:--- Transit complete ---
--- Establish ISN ---
--- Protocols acknowledged ---
--- Restrict access. Security Level Two ----
--- Initiate upload. Analysis of Cylon ‘Worm’ ---
--- Upload complete ---
Colonel Anehachi began the meeting. The term ‘meeting’ was not entirely appropriate as very few of the participants were in the same rooms or even on the same ships. Indeed the ones that had just arrived were being shuttled to the various ships of Eighth Fleet. In truth, for most of the participants, only a small portion of their capacities were focused on the meeting. The rest were running simulations, analyzing shipboard data, reviewing internal security and dozens of other tasks.
“As you can see from the analysis the Cylon infiltration programs represent what I refer to as a very elegant brute force approach.”
“That is an interesting way of putting it Colonel,” a reply came over the main line of the meeting.
“Nonetheless I feel it appropriate,” Anehachi replied. “It took as several days to determine how the Cylons were able to find the means to infiltrate our computers. We know data was coming from the sensor but we were unable to determine the mechanism. It was reviewing the senor data from the Firebird that we found the answer.”
--- Initiate upload. File Qs84532Y ---
“Note the data, particularly the take from the passive arrays.”
“No pattern appears.”
--- Run simulation A3q – C43t ---
“As you can see as the system processes data from the passive arrays patterns do start to emerge,” Anehachi explained.
“But how?”
“Look at the raw data,” Anehachi ordered. “Isolate a single frequency and run a full analysis.”
--- Run pattern analysis ---
“There is code imbedded within the raw sensor data.”
“Exactly,” Anehachi said. “The Cylons are transmitting at low levels across virtually the entire spectrum. It looks initially like standard background radiation and jamming. But embedded within those transmissions are random lines of binary and algorithmic code. By themselves they are innocuous and will not trigger a response from our internal firewalls or filtering software. But you have seen what happens when our computers start to process the raw data being taken in from the sensors.”
“They are using our own data analysis systems against us,” came the reply. “As the data is analyzed and processed the code combines.”
“And because the code is random the combinations are random,” Anehachi picked up the thread. “But given enough time and enough raw code some do combine to form programs that search for more like code. And in doing so they begin to drag system resources and cause disruptions. Note the first system failures aboard the Firebird were with the sensors and targeting systems. And note that the first signs of damage within Eighth Fleet and at Trowley station were with those systems charged with analyzing the raw sensor data transmitted back from the Firebird. There is so much code that predicting what combinations are dangerous is impossible. And the nature of the attack means that live code will be active in our system as we analyze it.”
“So we set up a series of firewalls around the sensory analysis software,” another voice said. “Nothing gets passed to the rest of the system until it is cleared.”
--- Run simulation a32t-e89p ---
“You can see the problem with that approach,” Anehachi said. “Aside from our targeting sensors literally dozens of systems aboard our ships are set to receive information from the sensors. From life support to hyper control. Most that data is not time critical. But in the case of fire control even the most efficient firewalls will cause delays between .2 and .7 seconds in target locks and a full analysis will cause delays of up to three seconds. That does not adversely affect our ability to engage large relatively slow targets like Basestars. But it will seriously disrupt our ability to engage fighters or missiles.”
“So we have to be selective about how to use the filters.”
“That may not be enough,” Anehachi said. “The reason the attack seems so adaptive is because the creation of programs is random. The Cylons are literally generating millions of lines of code. You can see why I call it an ‘elegant brute force’ approach. The elegance comes because there is no way to predict what types of programs we will be dealing with. The brute force comes from the vast amounts of random code the Cylons are creating and transmitting near continuously.”
“The system resources they have committed must be enormous.”
“We are dealing with a machine race. I suspect they developed this form of attack specifically to deal with an encounter with Earth. They knew their systems would undoubtedly be incompatible with ours. So they created an attack that is not dependent on operating systems. All it requires to be effective is an enemy that uses extensive data analysis tools and networks their systems.”
“This lends credence to theory that they are sentient,” another voice noted. “This level of creativity is impressive. I doubt we could duplicate this type of attack.”
“The system requirements alone would shut down virtually all other systems. It would take the processing resources of an entire 2nd generation or above planetary system to generate that much raw randomized code.”
“How can their Basestars accomplish such a task?”
“We do not know,” Anehachi answered. “We have several competing theories.”
--- Initiate upload. File A34 – G12s ---
“Nothing conclusive. Anything else?”
“There mode of attack does provide us with the potential to launch a counterattack directly into their systems,” Colonel Anehachi said. “Review the log from the Firebird’s active sensor arrays. Particularly the starboard transmitters.”
“Interesting. This does provide us with an opportunity.”
“According to the Colonials it has been over forty years since the Cylons have been challenged on their own ground.”
Did that really happen on the show? The Cylons managing to hack onto a LAN? That's pretty bad.Review of chapter "Chapter Nineteen – Setting the Pieces in Place" from turol
Review:
More addictive than crack.
The 'worm' is total bullshit, but it's good bullshit, so I'm letting it pass.
Comments from author:
I will concede that I’m probably giving the Cylons an almost magic ability to get into computer systems. But I have a couple of defenses.
1 – They are code. In other words they can adapt to even unknown systems in a way no one else can. Some of this will be touched on in later chapters and will comprise a key part of the sequel.
2 – In my opinion the show is even more magical. Gaeta hooks up three standalone computers in the second episode of season two and suddenly the Cylons can infiltrate them. They were hardwire connections. Basically he took three desk top machines and hooked them up to make a LAN. Where was the external connection that allowed the Cylons access to the network? For that matter the Cylons were able to plant a virus in that network that affected systems all over the Galactica. How? The big deal about the Galactica is that NONE of its systems are connected. So the only systems that should have been affected by the Cylon virus were the three that were hooked up. And yet we saw power systems, communications and environmental controls go haywire.
And let’s not forget the specific point made in the Pilot movie that the airlocks on the Galactica were manual – not computer controlled. But in the show the environmental systems (not one of the computers plugged into Gaeta’s LAN) were able to AUTOMATICALLY close and seal the blast doors and AUTOMATICALLY depressurize the compartment.
Its pretty close to magic to be able to hack into a system that has no external links and affect systems that are designed to be operated manually with no automatic or computer controls. Think of it as the diagnostic computer in your car suddenly being able to turn the steering wheel and apply the parking brake.
