The Federal Fundamental Computing System (codename System 3, originally Project 558) is the Commonwealth’s classified computer network and a covert federal system, physically separated from all public infrastructure and accessible only to authorised government, military and intelligence users. It is a seperate system from the Commonwealth National Intranetwork, which is the public system accessible at libraries, post offices and workplaces. System 3 is closely controlled, and is used for narrow purposes of national security.
System 3 is an independent network of communications lines, processing elements and relays that handle sensitive and important information in the Commonwealth. It is physically segregated from public networks and its integrity is a matter of national security. Each of the 83 republics maintains a primary mainframe (called a “grandmother”) that serves as a node in the total network. They are connected by undersea fibre-optic cables, usually obscured through bundling with other telecommunications lines, with auxiliary satellite links as backup.
The system authenticates logins via centralised credentials, which surface (through hardware firewalls) information only relevant to the user in question. In this sense, System 3 has many “faces” depending on who is using it. While it is a public and routine piece of infrastructure for many civil servants handling government information, it also transmits top secret data of national importance. The system operates on multiple classification channels, each providing a separate network that is cryptographically separated within the system’s lines.
Most other federal systems depend on System 3 as their backbone, as the primary means by which secure information can travel safely in the country.