Hacking

A hack is a race against a clock you can see. You break in, you take what you came for, and you get out before the target traces you. Getting in is half the job: a hack only counts when you disconnect in time.

1. Connect

On HOME, add the target to your bounce list with + and press CONNECT. You land on the target's login screen: its address, its welcome message and the reputation of its owner. Nothing has started yet.

The landing page of a target before the crack, with its welcome message and the Crack button — Connected to vault-node, before the crack.

2. Crack

Press Crack. Three numbers appear:

Time to crack: when the target opens up.
Trace-back time: when the target finds you and kicks you out.
Safe time: the gap between the two. That is your time inside.

Animated crack timers counting down: time to crack, trace-back time and safe time — The crack counting down. Both clocks start together.

WARNING

Disconnecting before the crack ends is a failed hack: it costs reputation and locks the target like a trace does.

3. Inside: Use the Safe Time

Once cracked, the header shows Traced in with the seconds you have left. Everything you do on the target happens now:

The connected view of a cracked host: trace countdown, Hardware, Files and Logs buttons, Disconnect and Collect Miner — 1 the trace countdown · 2 the target's hardware, files and logs · 3 Disconnect · 4 Collect Miner.

Collect Miner: take the Bits stored in the target's miner. The theft is written in its log.
Logs: read, delete or add lines in the target's access log. See Bounces & Logs.
Files: browse the target's filesystem and copy files to your host. See Files & Databases.
Hardware: the level of each of the target's components.
Database and Nexus: only on hosts that have one, or that belong to a hex of the Nexus map.

4. Disconnect in Time

Press Disconnect before the trace reaches zero. That is a successful hack: you gain reputation and roll for drops, and the results appear on screen.

The hack results window with a Bits Package drop and the reputation change — A successful hack: drops and reputation change.

If the trace reaches zero first, you are traced: the connection drops, the hack fails, you lose reputation and the target's owner gains it.

Drops

A successful hack can drop a Bits Package (open it from ITEMS), items, and craft currency for modules.
You have a few drop slots. Each successful hack uses one, and each slot refills on its own after a short while. The results window tells you how many are ready.
A lore fragment can drop from any successful hack, slots or not. Read it in LORE.
Corporation members can also find materials, modules and schematics. See Modules & Fabricator.

Cooldowns

After a hack, the same target is locked for a while: a short wait after a success, a longer one after a trace or a failed hack. The Crack button shows the time left. Other targets are free right away.

The Crack button locked with a countdown after a recent hack on the same target — Same target again: locked until the countdown ends.

What Sets the Timers

Both times are computed when you press Crack, from your host against the target's:

Shorter crack: your CPU, GPU, RAM, Cracker and AI.
Longer crack: the target's Firewall and Antivirus.
Faster trace: the target's Back-tracing and Firewall.
Slower trace: your NET and AI.
Levels: a target above your level cracks slower and traces faster; one below, the opposite. Each level of difference counts.
On top: your archetype, active synergies, equipped modules and active buffs.

TIP

The bounce list does not change the timers. It only decides which IP the target logs.

Reputation

Reputation works like a chess rating. Beat someone with more reputation than you and you gain more; fail against someone with less and you lose more. What you gain, the target's owner loses, and the other way round. Tutorial targets and dungeon enemies do not move it.