Also known as data spikes, computer spikes are manufactured by electronics companies galaxy-wide to serve as tools to interface with computer systems and essentially transfer and/or extract data. While these items can legitimately be used by technicians to fix computer issues for customers, they are more infamously used to illegally access secure systems in order to insert malicious programmes and gain access to the data within. They are also frequently used in the theft starships and vehicles.
Physically, computer spikes will resemble a cylindrical or rectangular rod with a number of input keys and a scomp link interface. The interface will be inserted into an available scomp port on a door, airlock, control console or any other computer operated/assisted device. The user can then instruct the computer spike to either automatically run its installed programmes, or to allow manual interaction with the target system. One method frequently used by criminals is for the computer spike to assault the target system with garbage data to overwhelm system security and gain access in this way.
Computer spikes are usually single use, as the power needed to overcome the target’s security systems will burn out the spike’s onboard processor. Spikes that are built into astromech or protocol droids do not have this limitation, as they can draw from the droid’s internal power supply and power regulation system. In addition, the droid’s memory can hold multiple slicing programmes to deal with various security features, as opposed to the individual computer spike’s one or at the most two hacking programmes.
Usage
The computer spike allows the user to attempt to slice locked doors and to attempt to capture disabled ships.
