Analyze
Analyze (Continuous or Single-Execution)
Default: Computer Programming-3 or Expert (Computer Security)-2.
Base Complexity: 3.
Get information about the target user, computer, program, or data object.
A successful roll returns useful information – file or user ID, running programs (and their Complexity), profile, network address, physical access location, or whatever the GM determines is available.
If Alter, Spoof, or Stealth (Program) programs have been used to obscure or change the target, the Analyze program must win a Quick Contest against the deceptive program in order to detect the forgery and get accurate information. A victory on this roll also tells the program user about the presence of the obscuring programs, which can then be investigated further.
Analyze can be invoked as a single-execution program to examine a specific target, or set to run continuously to monitor the status of a particular file, computer, or program. Analyze can be run on a target protected by an ICE program, but Analyze will only give information about the ICE and any programs that are running through it (Analyze, Listen, or Search).
It can also be set to cyclically scan all programs and data on a single computer, looking for irregularities (Alter, unauthorized instances of Control, etc.), or Triggered to scan users or programs that meet certain criteria. In all cases, it can call a Trigger program when certain results are obtained, or pass information to a sysadmin (or AI) for a more thorough examination.
This is one of the Hacking Programs.
skill_defaults:: "Computer Programming-3 or Expert (Computer Security)-2"
complexity:: 3