An introduction to what the CTOS controls
Created by the Blume Corporation, the CTOS, or Central Operating System, controls Chicago during the events of Watch Dogs.
About
The CTOS is the fundamental weakness of the city, as it can be hacked into through the use of a chain of backdoor viruses and used as a weapon against the city and its inhabitants, And also through a malfunction in the facial recognition system, as stated by Aiden Pearce. The CTOS also stores information on each inhabitant of the city in control centers and gathers new information with the help of surveillance. Various control centers (data servers) are dotted around Chicago, which can be taken control of, along with CTOS towers, allowing Aiden Pearce to access the information it stores and the mechanisms it controls. Various communication sites are placed between the centers, allowing for quick transfer of data over large distances. Though CTOS has reduced and is still reducing the overall crime levels of Chicago, that doesn't mean that the city is as protected as Blume says it is. CTOS is tied to a satellite which acts as a safety valve which can shut down the entire system if necessary.
Controversy
One question that is frequently asked about the CTOS is: Who controls the system that controls Chicago? One negative that has been noted about the CTOS is that large businesses could use the data stored by CTOS to maximize profits. It has also been noted that control of the system could fall into the wrong hands, like those of hackers such as Damien Brenks, T-Bone, Aiden Pearce and Defalt.
The fact that control of CTOS could fall into the wrong hands has clearly been brought to the public's attention by a hacking collective known as DedSec. The group hacks into the system and misappropriates its abilities to use it for its own purposes, such as invasions of privacy or data collection, simultaneously emphasizing CTOS's great power and security flaws.
Systems controlled by the CTOS
- Blockers and Road Spikes
- Bridge Access
- Electric Grid
- Lights / Traffic Lights
- The L Train
- Underground and above-ground steam pipes
- Crime Prediction System
- Security Cameras
- ATMs / Bank Accounts
- TVs and Video Adverts
- Citizens' Private Information
- Cellular communications
- Internet-connected devices
- Facial Recognition
- Power Transformers
- Light Houses
Security Personnel:
- Jeremiah Mouritz (Security Chief: CtOS Offices)
- Bobby Ames (Security Chief: The Loop, later Pawnee)
- Ha Seung (Security Chief: Brandon Docks)
- Ray Holston (Security Chief: The Wards)
- Rick Rally (Security Chief: Mad Mile)
- Alan Gomez
- Justin Arco
- Antonio Current
- Tabor Kriston
- Jayce Weaver
- Klaus Gleason
- Brody Alcom
- Stephen Fedder
- Tim Colding
- Bryan Deeley
- Nate Lloyd
- Pete Wright
- Steven Banks
Gallery
Trivia
- CTOS was upgraded to CTOS 2.0 with assumed upgraded security features after Aiden Pearce rebooted it.
- CTOS was also said to be introduced to other cities.
- The upgrade may also lead to a sequel game.
- The CTOS is mentioned in an Easter Egg in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
- Taking the fact that Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs are (probably) in the same universe, CTOS might be controlled by the Templars, the powerful group of people who control the world in the Assassin's Creed series.
- Despite being named "Central Operating System" in the game, in the ebook Watch Dogs //n/Dark_Clouds by John Shirley, it is referred to as the "City Operating System".
- It is actually pretty rare to see CTOS vehicles after you completed all the district access missions.
- CTOS is the main antagonist of the Alone Digital Trip, where it takes over the city with an army of robots in a twisted form of martial law.
See also
- http://chicago-ctos.com - Official Blume Corporation site for the CTOS