Mars Academy Network
Academy Network
They don't have a problem with viruses. We're not talking Windows here... you have to be someone with serious qualifications on the security system to get it to function.
All systems have a built-in security, file-level.
Most low-security systems will allow you to either use your password or your comm-unit to authenticate. This is similar in problems to how Jules found her way to the transporter rooms, but tops out in security clearance to changing the formatting on the menu at the cafeteria. Personal computers may be set up for this as well, but for network data they require the password.
Mid and High-Level data is only available from authorized plates and workstations. These units are inspected and sealed to prevent tampering, and they have a much more complex suite of electronics in them. As well, their O/S and software data is stored in non-reprogrammable ROM.
Although it is transparent to the user, these authorized plates perform a DNA scan and transmit a checksum of... you. This checksum is added to another one (of your DNA) to get a third checksum. The algorithim changes every few days, and successful authentication is REQUIRED for any medium-level action.
This system is only known to Upper NetSec, Rayne, and Darius. It will not halt a login on failure. Since unauthorized (read: non-collecting) dataplates will fail as will terminals, there will be a sample taken of anyone who uses it. Thus, NetSec will simply dump the entire sample to a shard and send it in for analysis while they monitor what you do.
You will, however, be sandboxed ever-so-slightly. Access to systems appears intact, but all activity is monitored. Usage habits are tracked by genetic code and writes are sent to NetSec for approval before commit. Any rollbacks are passed off as a system glitch and numbers aresent up to the powers that be for determination.
NetSec has caught several people through this, but they do not reveal the DNA scan. It's passed off as paranoid admins looking through the system for anything that looks funny. Rumors of these sweeps scare most would-be crackers away from any attempt. The genetic scanners are actually toning down security a bit. The genetic scanners are NOT public knowlege. Nor are they known to security main or likely even Investigations.
In High-security area, like the very core of Security and at the machine consoles, you have an added level. The security system keeps a sensor lock on you to make sure that you're still there. As long as you are, and nobody else is around, things are golden. This leads to some interesting possibilities if someone falls asleep at the monitors, as someone with sufficient telekinetic abilities to pass through the shields can type for them.
The countermeasures for viruses works in a similarly steroidical way. This isn't definition-based virus scanning, but rather bloodhound tech. Very, very good bloodhound tech. There's not supposed to be anything on the system that modifies programs... period. Write attempts to any of the secured systems are watched for, and killed. Also, only certain programs have any access to the datafiles. That is to say that you can't load up a program to directly edit the data in the medical files as the system will immediately kill the thread, delete (perhaps with a backup written to a shard, for curiosity's sake) it and search for anything that might be a backup of the program.
The bloodhound antivirus is only a small portion of the code that's involved, a bonus if you will. That's the entire login and authentication system, and it consumes probably upwards of 50% of the Academy's CPU power tracking network activity that hits the servers.
The program that they are using has its costs. It's taking up around 50% of the processor power of a server farm. These are optical comps at the low end, and heavily shielded quantum machines at the high range. Few have the processor power to match it.
Also, over the network, you only have a few comps that serve data, and on each they are only middle-tier servers. That is to say... they're firewalls that look like the actual server. Each machine only had the ports open that need to be open, and data signals are pre-scanned to ensure that they do not have any buffer overuns or other fun stuff. If they do, the transmitting machine's addy is logged, and if this looks malicious, then you'll find the Acad's sensors trying to locate you. If the attack would have been violent enough... you are likely to have armed guards sent to visit you; normally via teleportation in full combat gear.
The servers are strongly protected because they contain more than the Academy's lunch menu. They include medical files, background scans on entering persons, and even more fun stuff that's not disclosed. It's in your best interests not to give cause to do a full system sweep.
Datalates vary in security levels greatly. Teachers are supposed to be able to "push" data to students' plates, such as assignments, and this is set in classes. Unfortunately, since dataplates use a wireless system, they are very insecure. Students are advised to keep secured systems to terminals or desktops.
Data is written to off-line storage every night
Academy systems use fiber to the desktop, and are bundled with the power lines for devices. Since an optical computer does not use electrons, they don't produce stray signals. Also, they are not suceptable to electromagnetic interference from lifts and other similar devices.
You'll find that the servers are complete optical machines.
The academy uses quantum computers. Quantum computers are purely theoretical on Earth. For all you tech types here is a fairly accurate description of them but put simply, they do their processing at a quantum level so size is simply not a factor. Working at a quantum level also theoretically would allow the systems utilize other dimensions for their processing time. This means the processing time for virtually any task is effectively zero as far as we are concerned. A quantum computer smaller than the point of a needle could out process and out power every super computer on Earth working together. A quantum machine would be highly suceptable to electromagnetic radiation. Shielding would have to be... significant. This will place them at about the same size as today's computers.
All persons with any security clearance have a tracker chip. The signal cannot be duplicated or falsified. If you remove the chip, it stops working. This unit authenticates to the servers, and keys to the individual. System reactions to a non-match vary. Most times it will passively watch and keep vital information protected.
Also: Dataplate messages are monitored and recorded. There are no overrides unless you're using very heavy encryption and point-to-point systems. These do, however, get red-flagged when detected. Decryption may or may not be possible, and will be worked out on a case-by-case basis.
Plate messages by themselves are not run through any censorship programs, so they can only be used as evidence and will not trigger anything by themselves. They record message, senderID, nodeID, recipient(s), and location of sender. location of recipient is available to the access point that the plate was using. Thus, someone's writings will not actually set off anything as long as they go through standard channels - however, should anyone come forward with a suspicious message they got, it can be confirmed that they are bringing in the actual message and not a doctored one.
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