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Posted by: joe12south Oct 28 2009, 03:37 AM

As someone who doesn't have SR4, I'm curious about something:

"Decker" is a term that refers to anyone who could "deck"…i.e. access the Matrix for good or ill, legit or clandestine reasons. "Hacker" seems to refer to someone who "hacks" a system…unwanted or illegal access.

There can be a corporate decker, but not a corporate hacker. (Well, I guess a corp could employ someone to hack other's systems, but you know what I mean.)

So, given that, in SR4, what do you call the equivalent of a legit, corporate Decker?

Posted by: davidson Oct 28 2009, 03:50 AM

It's called a White Hat Hacker.

Posted by: LurkerOutThere Oct 28 2009, 04:07 AM

...........a corporate decker I don't think just because there was a change in gear the name would change. But in corporate fields they would likely be "An information security analyst" a "software security consultant" or "Bob the Sysadmin"

Posted by: Tachi Oct 28 2009, 06:08 AM

Security Hacker, Spider.

As mentioned above, White Hat or Information Security Analyst/Specialist...

Hacker = anyone who can hack...
Cracker = someone who hacks for malicious purposes, i.e. someone who cracks password protection, encryption, copyright protections, etc...

Of course... those are 2009 terms...

Posted by: TheOOB Oct 28 2009, 07:37 AM

Yeah, the term hacker is pretty universal. In previous editions security hackers where not called deckers because they usually used a comm terminal and not a cyberdeck, as a terminal has more power and doesn't need to be portable if you are defending one building.

With decks on the wayside, everyone who knows how to handle code real well usually gets tagged as a hacker, though security hackers are sometimes known as white hats. Spider is the term for a security rigger, which usually is a different person unless the corp doesn't have a large security buget(spiders care about physical threats, hackers about matrix).

Posted by: Ravor Oct 28 2009, 07:41 AM

And personally I refuse to use the term Hacker, sure they now use comlinks instead of cyberdecks, but are still called Deckers.

Posted by: Cardul Oct 28 2009, 09:24 AM

Actually, I use both in my games...Decker is the term often used by long time runners/second generation
runners, Hacker is the term used by newbies, or people who just don't "get it."

Then again, I also kind of think that Decker could have a new root now then just the cyberdeck..
as someone who comes in "hot on the deck" in VR..

Posted by: Tymeaus Jalynsfein Nov 1 2009, 03:13 AM

I like that...

Keep the Faith

Posted by: Kagetenshi Nov 1 2009, 03:22 AM

That's "cracker". "Hackers" are members of the subculture at CSAIL (or rather its predecessor) and their cultural descendants.

~J, still fighting the good fight after all these decades.