BSG tech Blog #5

Source: HNR

'We're hacking their network,' said Number Six with a WAN smile

Since I was so long-winded with this topic, and others which I chose to address back in Part A, this is Part B of TECH BLOG #5.

We're discussing the technical aspects of computers, networks, viruses, and Cylon hacking, as presented in Battlestar Galactica. Back to Zinjo, who touches on what I think is the most interesting aspect of all our computer espionage issues: how the Cylons gain remote access to Colonial computers:

It has been established in the Mini that the Cylons needed to create a "back door" in Baltar's navigation program to gain access to the Colonial defense network.

You should have consulted Iskandra, who appparently knows the answer to this:

I was wondering about the whole networking thing- I can understand how you could break into a network, even through firewalls...

Kidding aside, I completely disagree with the first part of Zinjo's statement. It was established that back doors were ONE WAY for the Cylons to gain access, not the only way. In fact, we establish exactly the opposite in the first five minutes of the miniseries:



DORAL

...computers that barely deserve the

name. It was all designed to operate

against an enemy who could infiltrate

and disrupt even the most basic computer

systems.



I think it's safe to assume, given Adama's statements, that during the first Cylon war, Galactica's computers were compromised, and I'm guessing that there was no direct access to her computers. Back then Cylons looked more like "walking chrome toasters" than supermodels, therefore Cylon agents would be comparatively easy to identify. It's a bit of a stretch, but to me Doral's statement implies that the Cylons are capable of accessing nearly any Colonial computer remotely -- given time and reasonable proximity.

How is that accomplished?

See the rest of the report at HNR