The Dominion’s skewed industrial base, which promotes use of ceramics, silicates and metals over polymers and plastics, tends to give computing and technical hardware a boxy, heavy feel. Computer options for hardware have been modified to reflect this.
Quantum Computing
The Dominion’s relatively slow advancement in areas of computing technology means that Quantum Computing is still considered an experimental technology. For massive computing solutions to quantum-style problems, the Dominion still relies on such things as the Massive Parallel Computing Array (MAPACOA) on Zargonia.
Networks and Robots
While people in high tech enclaves make use of portable PDAs, the Dominion’s general restrictions on and distrust of radio transmitters make widespread use of mobile phone and ubiquitous networked computing such as we experience in contemporary society impossible.
The Legion is the only organisation that makes common use of mobile workforce technology and many troopers are equipped with PDAs connected wirelessly to MilNet to aid their law enforcement activities.
Robots
Because the Dominion is unwilling to permit wide-scale use of radio transmitters and is fundamentally distrustful of things it cannot control, use of autonomous robots and semi-autonomous drones is also rare. The dominion would rather send a person to do a thing than trust that person to have a radio transmitter or rely on a machine that needs a radio transmitter for monitoring or control. Some organisations, such as space maintenance crews, are authorised to have radio transmitters for remote control of semi-autonomous repair drones, but these are the exception rather than the rule.
By comparison to contemporary society, computing-wise the Dominion feels locked in the early 2000’s.
The Net
As the Dominion does not have a method of communication faster than faster-than-light travel, local networks are defined by their time lags. A local network on a planet or station has the effectively instantaneous transmission times we are familiar with in contemporary life. Between a world and high orbit, or to a satellite, delays of a few seconds might be noted. A network across one planetary system might have have delays of a few Moments (minutes) for inner planets out to Jobs (hours) to outer planets or between planets on opposite sides of the system’s star. Network lag between systems can be measured in Cycles or DekaCycles, as network packets have to be uploaded to and carried on ships for download at the destination system and then the reverse process for return messages.
As well as the time locality for computer networks, there are several parallel secure networks operating across the Dominion’s communications infrastructure. In some local facilities, the hardware is separate, but most networks share common infrastructure at the communications nodes.
Parallel networks include:
- PubNet – the network available to members of the general public
- BurNet – the secure government network used by the Bureaucracy, BurNet has a multitude of secure sub-networks used by different Bureaus
- VizNet – the secure network operated by the Vizierate
- OverNet – the secure network operated by the Overlord’s Household
- MilNet – the secure network operated by the Dominion Legion
The Vizierate is responsible for operating PubNet and BurNet as well as its own VizNet.
OverNet and MilNet are operated by the Household and the Legion, respectively.
User Accounts
It is not possible for the average person to connect to any of the networks anonymously, even PubNet. All Dominion Mers have a user account on PubNet that is accessible by using their ID Tag.
Use of Alias Accounts is closely monitored. One effect of this is in the Dominion’s private sector. Because Dominion Corporations do not have an independent legal identity this means it is difficult for private sector organisations to have an independent online presence. Accordingly, many private sector organisations, and even government organisations employ a Mediary (sometimes more than one) under whose ID they manage their online presence; Mediaries are licensed. A Mediary for a large organisation is often well compensated, and some even assume a degree of celebrity. On the downside, they are personally responsible for all activity that takes place on their account. Their status as a licensed Mediary gives some freedom, but not much.
Net Costs
Access to the various networks is usually provided free to Dominion Mers on behalf of the Overlord’s Benevolence. Occasionally, a private establishment may charge for access, but this is rare.
Message propagation inside a star system is free. Inter-system (FTL) private messaging costs via PubNet are as follows:
- ʄ5 (max 1kb of text),
- ʄ20 for a message with 1-10 images or 1 Task full of audio
- ʄ50 with 1 Moment of video.
Any person may have a private Net page established on an intra-system basis for free.
Access to one’s net page can be made Inter-system for ʄ1 per Cycle. Additional pages can be established for ~ʄ100 + ʄ1 per Cycle.
NB: A ‘page’ is equivalent to a basic web site. Pages can also be configured for visitors to leave and receive messages. Anyone who routinely sends messages between systems usually quickly figures out that it is cheaper to establish a page and use its message functions to communicate than to use the Dominion’s Net messaging service.
As an aside, it’s unusual for the Dominion to implement a policy of using a free-market price signal to manage a limited resource (ie FTL Comms Bandwidth) in this way, and absolutely typical for it to have a gaping loophole in the same policy document.
Non-Net Computing
So, given the Dominion hates radio transmitters, what does a high-tech individual in the Dominion look like?
They probably have a wired connection based in their dwelling, whether that be on a space station or a high-tech enclave on a planet (space-borne and hostile planetary environments are typically more IT-enabled than their more environmentally forgiving counterparts), that serves as their main connection to PubNet. They use that wired connection to access the majority of the Net-connected services available in the Dominion. That might be library services for research, the Dominion’s (somewhat limited) Net-commerce sector – several companies offer mail-order catalogues and services via the Net, or Net-enabled interaction with government services.
They probably use that base to download/synchronise items to/with their PDA, such as Calendar appointments, pending in and out messages, and updates to any common databases they might maintain. On their local PDA they likely keep their personal appointment calendar, messages they might wish to send when they next synchronise, a personal knowledgebase relevant to their personal and professional interests, and various applications they may find useful for day-to-day living (eg exercise trackers, local-to-Dominion time converters, calculators, etc.)
Widgets
Given the lack of networked storage, extensive use is made of storage widgets – essentially the equivalent of contemporary thumb drives, but with much larger storage and speed capacity.
Securable options are available.
Mechanical lock – a physical device prevents access to the widget’s plug (also applies to hardcopy security)
Electronic lock – interfaces with the storage software to allow access and encrypt/decrypt the data, these are more secure should the device fall into unfriendly hands
Either or both types of lock can be connected.
The locks can generally be secured through a variety of mechanisms, including:
- A mechanical key (something you have)
- an ID tag reader (something you have)
- a separate card or dongle reader (something you have)
- combination lock/password reader (something you know)
- combination lock/password reader with time-sensitive password (something you know + something you have (the passcode dongle))
- fingerprint reader (something you are)
- retinal scans (something you are)
- voiceprint ID (something you are)
- DNA scanner (something you are)
Multi-factor authentication can be applied for extra security, where multiple methods must be presented to gain access.
NB: Biometrics like fingerprints are fairly secure, and can also clearly identify who owns a device. This can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the circumstances.
Additional security can be provided with self-destruct or anti-tampering devices, which may destroy the data or injure an intruder, or both. These can be physical or electronic destruction.
eg: Thurston-Thurston-Thurston’s secure widget was electronically encrypted with a thumbprint reader and an electronic data destruct device that activated after multiple unrecognised thumbprint reads or someone attempted to physically break into the device.
- Pros
- Relatively secure
- Encryptable should it fall into unfriendly hands
- Readily portable
- Easy to make copies
- Physical access usually required to hack
- Can include a self-destruct
- Cons
- Can be lost or stolen
- Encryption can sometimes be defeated over time
- Needs a third-party device to use (potential weak point – eg if she plugs it into Spanial, is that system making another copy somewhere?)
- Can be hacked while connected
Online Storage
With access to encryption software, she can store data blobs on her NetPages.
- Pros
- Encryption can be somewhat secure
- Protected against loss
- Cons
- Hackable
- Requires a connection to upload, may need to be temporarily stored on a widget
- Authorities will be able to access data easily if suspicious
- Probably can’t be deleted
- Easily tracked to the page owner
Inside a Device
She can store it inside a personal laptop or PDA. Security options are similar to a Widget.
- Pros
- More convenient
- Likely to have better control over secondary saving than someone else’s terminal
- As per widget
- Cons
- More frequent connection of device to other networks and devices increases hacking opportunities
- Device is a more obvious target for theft or confiscation by authorities
- As per widget