Thread

1. reactordev · 1790109412 · focus · HN ↗

   There’s a scene in Battlestar Galactica (2004) where someone asks Captain Adama why the Galactica doesn’t have networked computers. So the cylons can’t hack the ship…

   1. jshier · 1790111808 · focus · HN ↗

      Which was always pretty stupid. At best it means the Cylons can't hack the whole ship, just whichever part they exploited to gain access remotely in the first place. But really the Cylons would've needed exploits for each individual system anyway, since simply connecting them with wires shouldn't just do that. And unless those other systems are completely air gapped with no wireless or other access, it would be trivial for them to still gain remote access, or have one of their infiltrators provide a local connection of some kind. AFAIR that was never a plot point, which was odd.

      1. joshheitzman · 1790112431 · focus · HN ↗

         > And unless those other systems are completely air gapped with no wireless or other access

         That is exactly the canon.

         1. josephg · 1790123197 · focus · HN ↗

            I think it's genius to use this element of computer security in narrative fiction. But I think they still had comms across the ship. The cylons could still clone the captain's voice and have random crew members perform arbitrary tasks by directing people to do so over the ship's radio.

            1. outworlder · 1790124528 · focus · HN ↗

               Most of the in-ship comms were 'old school' (in our terms) analogue devices. They actually had to pick up speakers. Internal speakers were wired, not radio.
      2. reverius42 · 1790112514 · focus · HN ↗

         > whichever part they exploited to gain access remotely

         I think you missed the point of "no networking", you have to actually physically sit in front of the computer. There is no remote access.

         1. iJohnDoe · 1790133974 · focus · HN ↗

            I didn’t follow the whole thread. Just want to point out that over the last 10 years hacking air-gapped systems has been a primary objective. Hard drive clicks, keyboard clicks, CPU squeaks, speaker-to-speaker. Exactly what advanced adversarial AI would be specifically good at.

            1. done_lurking · 1790139802 · focus · HN ↗

               Those do technically cross an air gap but don't they still require being really close to work?

               1. iJohnDoe · 1790181868 · focus · HN ↗

                  “Close” in relative terms. It’s been a while and don’t remember, but I think one study concluded it could be done from across the street or through an office window, etc.

                  It may not sound very exciting, but if you’re the NSA or CIA and you want access to a HVT, then all of these options are on the table if the routine approaches haven’t been successful.

            2. mordae · 1790148655 · focus · HN ↗

               All those require cooperating machines and are at best very slow data exfiltration mechanisms.
      3. dyauspitr · 1790146363 · focus · HN ↗

         Have you watched the show because a lot of your assumptions are incorrect.
      4. theplayerofgame · 1790183458 · focus · HN ↗

         They are in space, so they're air gapped by definition. Oh... you mean "air gapped", not "air gapped". Sorry.

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.