Defending against Hacks

[Green Raven]

This hacking system is really getting to me...

How do I defend my system? I put up the only defense option I have (Encrypt), but I still get a message saying my home system was hacked.

The message also mentions a "trace", but doesn't explain any further.

I need this explained to me like Im a third grader.

[Winter]

Encrypt doesn't prevent hacks- it just makes them take longer, and will remove a "back door" has put there.
Interrogate slows down hack further again and increases the speed of your traces.
Lockdown completely prevents the "back door" option- also preventing any of the advanced options available with back doors- and also increases your chance of detecting hacks.
Pirates and most major factions seem to detect hacks immediately upon it reaching their systems. Then it's a race to finish the hack before their trace gets back to you.
Minor Factions and the Academy never seem to trace back when you are having them directly. However, hacking through a system owned by a minor race or the Academy will generally kick off a trace.

Trace is an attempt to trace a hack back to its point of origin. They are automatic, and they kick off when a hack is detected- whether the system is the end target or just passing through.
Traces will ALWAYS move faster than hacks (unless you're at like 200+ free bandwidth).
When you trace back a hack, you will get the change to shut it down, or let it continue to "learn something". Whatever the intended consequence of letting it proceed the Devs had, it never actually seems to happen; just take the "shutdown" option every time.
When another faction (including Pirates) trace a hack back to you, they can do anything from a diplomatic message of "Stop hacking us" to imposing a system "blackout"- basically 5 turns of that system doing nothing but taking up space on the map.

Hacking can be useful- stealing tech, making ground battles 1000% easier, and taking over minor factions among its best uses. It can also be incredibly frustrating, particularly if someone ends up getting a back door to your capital system, and throws your civ into anarchy.

When in doubt- if you dislike Hacking, disable the Penumbra DLC. You only lose 2 things- hacking and the Umbral Choir major faction.

[rcuajunco]

You have x amount of bandwidth too increase or slow down hacks

Ideally you want too hack from a neighboring system too a homeworld too get a free technology every 4 turns.

The ai also wants too do this too you.

The further away you hack from the less likely your hack will be traced, but this also takes longer. Ai be greedy and will go for the 4 turn, if that fails they will try 8 turn, if that fails they will settle for hacking ur homeworld every 12 turns.

So you place blue things too prevent this and trace them too the neighboring system.
Now ai will hack the neighboring system again, and this time hack further away, too the neighboring system and then too your homeworld.

You can spend even more bandwidth too stop them a second time by using the 2nd blue mission ( sorry forgot whats its called ) too trace them too the neighboring system, and then too the adjacent system before they hack your homeworld. This will end the neighboring node and the node their hacking from.

Now ai will hack the node 2 systems away, the adjacent node, then try too hack your homeworld a third time this time from 3 systems away. You cant stop this, but if computer is spending 12 turns too hack you this way your okay with that, since being hacked every 12 turns is way better than being hacked every 4 turns.

Only play with this dlc when your playing as umbral choir, cause this faction is really fun too play for about 10 games, then people get ahnoyed with the added hassle and just turn this dlc off.

[Green Raven]

So the farther away I initiate a hack from, the better it's odds?

[Green Raven]

Also, if Encrypt removes back doors, what stopping me from pierodically placing an encrypt on every node I own? There doesnt seem to be any cost to putting it up and then pulling it down.

[rcuajunco]

Defensive Programs are programs that you place on friendly nodes (nodes owned by you or an ally). They permanently allocate an amount of bandwidth depending on the program and any variables involved and will remain active until you manually disable them, lose control of the node or exceed your bandwidth allocation.

You don't have infinite bandwidth

[Ericus1]

Originally posted by Green Raven:

So the farther away I initiate a hack from, the better it's odds?

Kind of. The further back in your own territory you start, the longer the back trace will take to find the source once the hack crosses into the target's territory and encounters a protected node, which gives your hack more time to reach its target and finish. So it's not really an "odds" think it's a timing thing. If your hack makes it to the target it always succeeds.

[Green Raven]

Originally posted by rcuajunco:

Defensive Programs are programs that you place on friendly nodes (nodes owned by you or an ally). They permanently allocate an amount of bandwidth depending on the program and any variables involved and will remain active until you manually disable them, lose control of the node or exceed your bandwidth allocation.

You don't have infinite bandwidth

But I can put it up and take it down an infinite number of times, clearing out backdoors as I do.

[Winter]

Originally posted by Green Raven:

But I can put it up and take it down an infinite number of times, clearing out backdoors as I do.

Yes you can. It will usually take ~5 turns on normal speed to clear a back door. I have done this myself, taking down non-vital encrypts to free up bandwidth to put one on a different ssytem.

For systems like your home system, that you never want them to establish a backdoor, I would recommend a lockdown and leave it there. It costs 5 more bandwidth than an encrypt, and removes establishing a back door on the system as an option.