Since Telepresence is in the game, and FD have mentioned it isn't being/will never be used for helm due to 'hacking', I've taken a stab at inventing lore to back this up. If this is all nonsense to you, blame my Holo-me. He's crazy. You try talking to him.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
History & Records Division,
Building 11A1 Pilots Federation compound,
Founders World,
Shinrata Dezhra.
3303-03-13 - 14:29
Commanders,
Due to the recent surprising upsurge in popularity of larger ship crews, the Pilot's Federation has again been inundated with requests for clarification on the reasons behind the ban on Telepresence helm control.
The reason is, of course, the Telepresence Wars of 3266.
It is not known precisely where or when the Telepresence comms & security protocols were first compromised, but it's likely the first attacks occurred some time in 3262 along the Achenar to Quince trade corridor. Unconfirmed reports suggest a previously little-known pirate faction utilised this breach to commandeer passing trade vessels, dropping them out of supercruise to gain access to their cargo.
But the vulnerability only came to the fore in mid 3265 when numerous terrorist factions along the Imperial / Federal border began Telepresence-hijacking (or "Telejacking") cruise ships to take the passengers for ransom, or far more worringly: to transform the ship into a supercruise projectile for attacking military installations and even civilian population centres.
The issue escalated to outright conflict in 3266 when Imperial and Federal authority ships sent to quell the violence were, in turn, telejacked and used against friendly forces. While there have been many accusations on both sides of 'false flag' attacks, where both Imperial and Federal strikes against the other were blamed on telejacking, the Pilots Federation at this point has no evidence supporting either side in this matter.
Neither do we know how a lowly pirate faction could breach such a hitherto secure protocol. The Pilots Federation cannot comment on unsubstantiated claims that the breach was due to a Federation-mandated 'back-door' to the Telepresence protocol, supposedly added to provide security forces with an override in the event of suicide attacks, and/or intelligence gathering.
In any case, despite Telepresence Inc. claiming to have patched the vulnerability in question, the public had long lost confidence in the system, with its slogan "We'll be There for you" quickly becoming a popular, derisory hyperNet meme. The breach also is likely a significant causal factor in the sudden rise in popularity of 'data-mules'- ships carrying offline data packages from station to station no longer entrusting direct FTL comms.
Under immense pressure from the Imperial, Federal and Alliance trifecta, the Pilots Federation had little choice but to mandate that all interplanetary vessels must be crewed by at least one Commander, who must operate the helm and be in place to kill the Telepresence feed immediately in the event of a remote telejacking attempt on his or her crew.
We hope this clarifies current Telepresence policy and the reasons behind it.
Pilots Federation Press Officer, History & Records Division.
--
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
History & Records Division,
Building 11A1 Pilots Federation compound,
Founders World,
Shinrata Dezhra.
3303-03-13 - 14:29
Commanders,
Due to the recent surprising upsurge in popularity of larger ship crews, the Pilot's Federation has again been inundated with requests for clarification on the reasons behind the ban on Telepresence helm control.
The reason is, of course, the Telepresence Wars of 3266.
It is not known precisely where or when the Telepresence comms & security protocols were first compromised, but it's likely the first attacks occurred some time in 3262 along the Achenar to Quince trade corridor. Unconfirmed reports suggest a previously little-known pirate faction utilised this breach to commandeer passing trade vessels, dropping them out of supercruise to gain access to their cargo.
But the vulnerability only came to the fore in mid 3265 when numerous terrorist factions along the Imperial / Federal border began Telepresence-hijacking (or "Telejacking") cruise ships to take the passengers for ransom, or far more worringly: to transform the ship into a supercruise projectile for attacking military installations and even civilian population centres.
The issue escalated to outright conflict in 3266 when Imperial and Federal authority ships sent to quell the violence were, in turn, telejacked and used against friendly forces. While there have been many accusations on both sides of 'false flag' attacks, where both Imperial and Federal strikes against the other were blamed on telejacking, the Pilots Federation at this point has no evidence supporting either side in this matter.
Neither do we know how a lowly pirate faction could breach such a hitherto secure protocol. The Pilots Federation cannot comment on unsubstantiated claims that the breach was due to a Federation-mandated 'back-door' to the Telepresence protocol, supposedly added to provide security forces with an override in the event of suicide attacks, and/or intelligence gathering.
In any case, despite Telepresence Inc. claiming to have patched the vulnerability in question, the public had long lost confidence in the system, with its slogan "We'll be There for you" quickly becoming a popular, derisory hyperNet meme. The breach also is likely a significant causal factor in the sudden rise in popularity of 'data-mules'- ships carrying offline data packages from station to station no longer entrusting direct FTL comms.
Under immense pressure from the Imperial, Federal and Alliance trifecta, the Pilots Federation had little choice but to mandate that all interplanetary vessels must be crewed by at least one Commander, who must operate the helm and be in place to kill the Telepresence feed immediately in the event of a remote telejacking attempt on his or her crew.
We hope this clarifies current Telepresence policy and the reasons behind it.
Pilots Federation Press Officer, History & Records Division.
