8.4.4 Hacking

So you want to hack the commsphere huh, get into places you shouldn't? Breach firewalls to read files you're not allowed to? Post 'HACKED' on your friends Flogger account? Change your boss's access credentials to "I'm a kithlicking flakkhead"?


HACKING SYNTAX

HACK TERMINAL            Hack a Terminal in the room in order to unlock a nearby door. This is what you're hacking most of the time.
HACK EMBEZZLE            Hack a Terminal in order to embezzle funds. Requires the appropriate skill in HACKING.
HACK FACTIONCOMMS        Hack a Terminal in order to breach another faction's communications. Requires the appropriate skill in HACKING.
HACK CAC                 Hack a Cerebral Augment Chamber. Requires the appropriate skill in HACKING.
HACK SURVEILLANCE        Hack a Surveillance Center. Requires the appropriate skill in HACKING.
HACK STATUS              Information about your current hacked and locked out grids.

PROBE TERMINAL           Confirm the estimated challenge rating of a hack-ready terminal in the room.
TERMINATE                End a hacking attempt while in the grid. No HACK prefix on this- Just TERMINATE. 


TYPES OF ICE (Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics)

Antivirus                   Standard ICE component that will attack if you enter their directory. 
Replicating Antivirus       Rapidly replicate to fill the directory with additional Antivirus ICE and will attack you. 
Polymorphic Antivirus       An antivirus that will transform into another ICE category or attack you. 
Firewalls                   Come in static and mobile versions. Don't fight back, but will block you from leaving a directory until you either decompile them or HACK SLICE past them. You can sometimes get GigaOps back by decompiling these. 
Scanners                    These do not attack, but will summon ICE from nearby directories unless you jam their signals with the HACK JAM skill. 
Honeypots                   Does not attack, but is harder to decompile and Will prevent you from moving until removed. You can sometimes get GigaOps back by decompiling these. 
Glitches                    Glitches do not attack virus like you, but DO sometimes heal or even fully recover ICE you've decompiled. 

HACKING ABILITIES IN THE GRID

As you successfully hack more complicated Grids, you will gain experience in Hacking protocols and learn new ways of interacting with the datasphere. There is no quick way to get around this or any tutor who can teach you these lessons - You have to hack to get better at hacking. These skills, available in AB HACKING, include: 

Infiltration
Infect               Subvert ICEs with your malware.                    
Assess               Determine the difficulty of a hack.                
Gridscan             Scan the grid for the processing array.            
Jam                  Silence the alarms of scanners.                    
Ping                 Show details of a directory.                       
Decoy                Deploy a decoy to confuse.                         
Lure                 Draw in ICEs.                                      
Slice                Move effortlessly past firewalls.                  
Overwrite            Crush countermeasures.                             
Backdoor             Create a backdoor for quick return.                
Tunnel               Return to your backdoored directory.               
Bypass               Circumvent security measures. 
                     
Ops
Surveillance         Break into the surveillance network of a faction.  
Cac                  Sliver extraction from Cerebral Augment Chambers.  
Contracts            Apply your hacking skills in the real world.       
Factioncomms         Intercept communication on factional commlinks.    
Embezzling           Their marks look a lot better in your account.

**Note: After Hacking Level 16, the only way to gain hacking XP is through very advanced challenges. Fray Contracts, Embezzling, Facilities and Cosmpiercers will be the only places you can go to expand your mastery and claim the title of Grand Architect.


THE HACKING PROCESS

Find Terminal -> HACK TERMINAL -> Secure Password -> Unlock Processing Array

While hacking, you will fuse your Mindsim consciousness into the datastream as a Virus, typically with the intent of securing password data to gain access to something or somewhere. Your physical body will still be visible and present, of course, and can be attacked. Be mindful of this and consider bringing a guard if you're in a particularly dangerous spot. 

In the Grid, your greatest threat will be the native ICE. You will navigate a Grid, attacking ICE to earn clues as to the Grid's password until you can confidently pass the protocol validation at the processing array. 

While hacking, your "health" will be noted as GigaOps, a combination of your firewall protections, processing power and time remaining before getting caught in the system. Your rate of GigaOps will vary depending on the level of the Grid and your own experience hacking them, and your overall GigaOps will be reduced by fighting ICE as well as simply persisting in the Grid or moving around. You'll need to move quickly if you want to be successful. 

Once you feel confident you've secured the PASSWORD to your Grid, you need to find the Processing Array and enter it with UNLOCK <PASSWORD>. If your guess is correct, you will have successfully hacked the grid and gained access to whatever it was securing. If your guess is incorrect or if you TERMINATE the hack attempt early, one of a few things may happen: 

FAILLING A HACK

Keep in mind that Hacking, while a popular pastime, is still ILLEGAL in the Starmourn Sector. Upon failing a hack, the punishments range from a lazy security guard becoming aware of your presence and attacking or removing you from the space to the Ishvana overtaking your consciousness and puppeting your corporeal form as a puppet to kill you. You know... Whatever happens, just stay positive and keep working! 


WHY SHOULD I HACK? 

Again, this is all very illegal, but the rewards can be great. Successful hackers can access opposing Factions' comms networks or surveillance systems, steal slivers from CACs, embezzle marks from NPC accounts, and most shadow-secretly... complete FRAY HACKING Contracts.

Hacking is also a necessary skill for taking and defending Cosmpiercer stations or accessing some unique areas which were maybe intended to be secret, but can be accessed with some quick thinking by those willing to take a risk. 


OKAY, LET ME IN (TO THE GRID)

So you want to hack the commsphere huh, get into places you shouldn't? Breach firewalls to read files you're not allowed to? Post 'HACKED' on your friends Flogger account? Change your boss's access credentials to "I'm a kithlicking flakkhead"? Break into a corporation’s headquarters to steal company secrets?

HELP HACKING LOCATIONS has some basic low-sec terminals you can try out, but here's a small list to get you started. 

Level 1 hacking terminals:
  - 587   | A broad, sloping hallway (Haven)
  - 1103  | A high-stakes gambling den (Q) (Ishbi)
  - 1434  | A heavily patrolled commuter station (Q) (Marle)
  - 6522  | Finesse (Song City)
  - 22496 | The back room of Finesse (Song City)
  - 3767  | The Bizarre Bazaar (Lowtown, Narisiriz - Faleon St.)

Level 2 hacking terminals:
  - 3645  | New Horizons Leasing (Haven)
  - 757   | Before the glittering ruins of The Crater Casino (Oldtown)
  - 3901  | Quickmark Pawn (Song City)
  - 22497 | The back room of the Quickmark Pawn (Song City)
  - 3628  | A dirt road winding past a corporate retreat (Selubir)


As always, remember to Hack Responsibly!