Security Status & Space Types

Space in EVE Online is classified along a true security rating spectrum ranging from 1.0 (Highsec) down to -1.0 (Nullsec) , plus non-sovereign realms such as WH space and Pochven .

Each security tier dictates the rules of engagement, law enforcement intervention, and spatial hazards.

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The Space Security Hierarchy

Space Designation	Security Rating	Law Enforcement	Warp Bubbles?	Local Chat Roster?	Primary Threat
High Security (Highsec)	1.0 to 0.5	CONCORD Retribution	No	Yes (Full pilot list)	Suicide ganking, war declarations
Low Security (Lowsec)	0.4 to 0.1	Sentry Gate Guns	No	Yes (Full pilot list)	Gatecamps, smartbombs, pirate roams
Null Security (Nullsec)	0.0 to -1.0	None (Player Sovereignty)	Yes (Warp interdiction)	Yes (Full pilot list)	Interdictor bubbles, cloaky stealth bombers
Wormhole Space (J-Space)	WH	None (Wilderness)	Yes (Warp interdiction)	No (Delayed/invisible local)	Cloaked T3 cruisers, Sleepers, collapsing wormholes
Triglavian Pochven	Pochven	None (Triglavian/EDIS)	No	No (Delayed/invisible local)	Roaming Triglavian fleets, Drifters, gatecamps

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1. High-Security Space (Highsec: 1.0 to 0.5)

Highsec is the domain of the four empire navies, protected by CONCORD—the interstellar police force.

CONCORD Retribution vs. Prevention

CONCORD does not prevent crimes from occurring. They do not maintain defensive forcefields around your ship. When an illegal attack occurs in highsec, CONCORD warps in to execute the attacker, but this process takes several seconds.

If three pirate destroyers output enough volley damage to vaporize your transport ship before CONCORD lands, your ship is destroyed and your cargo is looted by their alt character. This is known as suicide ganking.

CONCORD Response Times & the 0.5 System Hazard

The speed of CONCORD’s intervention depends directly on system security:

• 1.0 to 0.9 Systems: CONCORD arrives in approximately 5 to 6 seconds.
• 0.8 to 0.7 Systems: CONCORD arrives in approximately 8 to 12 seconds.
• 0.6 Systems: CONCORD arrives in approximately 14 to 16 seconds.
• 0.5 Systems: CONCORD experiences a severe response delay, arriving in 19 to 24 seconds.

Because a 20-second window gives pirate gankers four times as much firing duration, systems with a 0.5 security status (such as Uedama and Niarja) are the most dangerous choke points in all of highsec. Gankers routinely camp these gates to annihilate overloaded industrial haulers.

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2. Low-Security Space (Lowsec: 0.4 to 0.1)

Lowsec is frontier territory where CONCORD does not operate:

• Sentry Gate Guns: Firing upon an unflagged pilot near a stargate or station triggers NPC sentry guns. However, experienced pirates easily tank or avoid gate gun fire.
• No Warp Disruption Bubbles: Anchorable warp bubbles and interdictor sphere launchers are prohibited by game mechanics in lowsec. If you align and warp in under 2 seconds, you cannot be caught on a gate unless smartbombed.
• Criminal & Suspect Flags: Attacking other pilots lowers your Security Status and flags you as an open target.

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3. Null-Security Space (Nullsec: 0.0 to -1.0)

Nullsec is completely lawless territory divided between sovereign player alliances (Sov Null) and pirate factions (NPC Null):

• Warp Disruption Bubbles: Interdictors (such as the Sabre and Flycatcher) and heavy interdiction cruisers can deploy warp disruption bubbles. Any ship attempting to warp through or into a bubble is violently pulled out of warp.
• Local Chat Intel: Even in nullsec, local chat displays the full list of all pilots currently in the star system. Veteran alliances maintain automated intel channels to track hostile fleets.

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4. Wormhole Space (J-Space)

Wormhole systems (designated J-space, e.g. J123456) are mysterious pocket systems connected only by unstable, temporary cosmic wormholes:

The Golden Rule of Wormholes: No Local Chat Roster

In wormhole space, local chat does not display pilot names. The pilot roster remains completely empty unless a player deliberately types a message into the chat window.

Other pilots may be orbiting 2,000 meters away in cloaked stealth bombers or strategic cruisers, and you will have zero idea they exist until their warp scramblers hit you.

• Directional Scan (D-Scan) Necessity: Because local chat is blind, you must tap the D-scan shortcut (V key) every 3 to 5 seconds to sweep 14.3 AU around your ship for combat probes and hostile ships.
• Sleeper NPCs: Wormholes are guarded by ancient Sleeper drones that deal heavy omni-damage (EM/Thermal/Kinetic/Explosive) and use energy neutralizers and warp scrams.

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5. Triglavian Pochven

Pochven is a 27-system triangle network carved out of empire space by the Triglavian Collective during the Kybernaut invasion:

• Like wormholes, Pochven systems have no local chat roster.
• Filament Extraction: Entering Pochven requires special Border or Internal filaments. To escape, explorers and haulers carry Extraction Filaments (e.g. Border-5 ‘Pochven’ and Glorification-1 ‘Devana’), allowing instant emergency extraction directly into highsec space!

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6. Pirate Insurgencies (The Silk Road Hazard)

Pirate factions (the Guristas Pirates and Angel Cartel) launch dynamic Insurgencies that spread corruption from their staging bases into neighboring empire star systems:

• System Corruption: As pirate players complete insurgency objectives, system corruption rises to Level 5.
• Highsec Conversion: High corruption disables CONCORD intervention and enables warp disruption bubbles in formerly peaceful highsec systems.
• The Silk Road Pipeline: Insurgencies frequently corrupt the main trading corridor between Jita and Amarr (the “Silk Road”). Always check your in-game map and route planner for corrupted systems before hauling expensive assets!