Chapter 2: The Journey

Some well-guarded or high-security computer systems require more than a simple hack to obtain data or subvert their functionality. These systems have multiple security redundancies and consensus-based backup processors that make it all but impossible to execute a hack from a single point. To overcome these systems or to execute exceptionally long-lived hacks, the hacker must place one or more line shunts at other locations.

A line shunt is a TL4 piece of black-market tech designed to tap into a data line and spoof the contents
in concert with a hacking attempt.

Professional, well-maintained computer systems usually require one line shunt to be applied before any hack can be performed. Government or infotech-focused corporation buildings usually need two. Black sites or extremely well-guarded systems need three. Once a sufficient number of line shunts are applied, any ensuing hacks last until the shunts are disturbed. Thus, if a hacker placed the shunts and then Subverted a System, their control would last as long as the shunts remained in place. The likelihood of a shunt being found will depend on how accessible the location is, how active the guardians are, and how obvious the
hacking attempt is.

Line shunts must usually be placed at specific locations in a structure or building in order to tap the right lines, depending on the goal of the hacker. If the hacker doesn’t have a map of the site’s network architecture, they can find the necessary sites with the Answer a Spe- cific Question hack. This basic data probe doesn’t require a line shunt, even if other hacks on the system would need them to be placed.