Especially after said arm started repeatedly punching you in the face!

So I go out and get a stock Mitsuhama 'Quiet Whispers' cyberarm and get it installed. Now this piece of tech will broadcast (if I let it) diagnostic info, stress analysis, power level, feedback parameters, etc. If I leave that on, sure, someone can detect the node and frag with it.

It also is asking for input, and I'd expect it to want to download the newest patch and firmware upgrades as soon as it comes out... much like your computer tries to do right now if you let it. So sure, a cyberarm normally sends and receives data (but not constantly).

I also imagine that somewhere in the owner's manual it mentions the option of turning it off, but that means you'd lose out on the very information that lets you get the most out of 'your new limb that's engineered to be better than the one you were born with!™'

So a seasoned runner will kill (either internally, or externally AKA adding an 'off' switch) any wireless function that could compromise them. Screw worrying about Security detecting your commlink when you're deep inside the Aztech complex, worry about your arm suddenly asking 'Hey, are there any new upgrades out there I need?'

Your average wageslave won't worry about turning off their cyberarm's wireless functionality since it's so handy, which means hackers do have more options nowadays, but also that pretty much anyone can be somewhat of a decent hacker (or have a specialty or two) if they want. But the question is this.. it's easy (allegedly) to hack my cyberarm, but is it worth it? If cyberware is 'old' tech and frowned upon, that means you could argue there's only a small segment with cyberlimbs (which I'm not sure about) so it could be 10% or 45%. But if Seattle alone has four million people in it (and another half million in visitors every day) that's four hundred thousand to almost two million people with 'ware. Who do you pick to hack? There's more to hack, sure, but the same old legwork has to take place first before you spend all that time subtly hacking the janitor's cyberleg instead of the guy you wanted. 'Hah, he's mopping the floor in a very inefficient manner!!' 'Sure, but what does that do for us? Avoid the dirty parts of the floor?'

Sure, some of the older tech is inherently 'safer' in the fact it's not broadcasting anything to anyone, but that also means a lot of the new techniques for avoiding downtime on hardware are lost to you. And yeah, I can see a datajack throwing out wireless info, but only on data transfer speed, hardline signal quality, etc. I can also see it being a very simple task to add a microswitch to the system that does that, and place it in the 'off' position.

It's a lot like the portable music industry in terms of technology. In 1987 I used a Sony Walkman that played cassette tapes. In 1997 I had a Sony Discman that played CDs. Now I have a PSP that plays MP3s, but also can pick up (and transmit) wirelessly to the net, play games, watch movies, etc. It does have an 'off' switch for the wireless (which means it won't drain the battery as fast and can be used on planes). Sure, the old Sony Walkman works fine, but there's functionality you're losing out on when you don't have the newer device. I'm sure if I was using the wireless function someone could hack my PSP, but there's only a handful of people out there who could and I doubt I'll ever run into one.

My point about the music players was how technology rolls on. I'm sure there are people still using a walkman, but the newer tech is much more convenient, even if it's less secure.

Keep in mind anyone with installed cyberware (or any other item that has wireless functionality) can turn off the wireless mode with a 'simple command', which requires a manual action to turn back on... or you can tell it to 'turn back on' at a designated time. (Main Book, page 304)

It might just be as simple as Bob's cyberarm is modded by his corporation into using encryption. Actually, what makes MORE sense is that since the RAW mentions you can turn off cyberware's wireless access with a command, when Wageslave Bob leaves his office, as he exits the office network/building, the network sends a command to turn off his cyberware's wireless functions (or as soon as he leaves the range of the office, it shuts down automatically... that's just a firmware update right there). If Wageslave Bob was silly enough to store upcoming project data on his cyberarm, and as he left the office told it to shut down wireless functions, the only way you're going to hack his arm now is with a combat axe. When Bob returns to work, the office (through his commlink) reminds him that his cyberarm is not broadcasting and he needs to flip the 'wireless mode on' switch (or it turns on at 9am when Bob should be at his desk.. if he knows what's good for him).

Since datajacks are so cheap, it also wouldn't be much of an effort to replace the wireless broadcast component with a datajack. So instead of you having the obvious security hole which also allows you functionality that didn't exist in previous models, you can have wired access to those functions. And I think I'd give you a free perception check if someone tried to surreptitiously jack into your cyberarm. "Some guy just rolled up your sleeve, by the way. And he's trying to take the dustcover off your arm's datajack with one hand while holding a datacable in his other hand. Just fyi!"

I guess my question is this, though. If Bob the Wageslave has a cyberarm as his only real cyberware, what good would hacking it do? You could use it to store data, maybe have it release a program or virus.. but it's not a commlink, it has no sensors (beyond touch) so even if you did hack it and turn it into your storage device from whence to launch a VR offensive once he's in the building... how could you know when he's in the right location to start the mayhem? Either you'd have to hack the building to ensure he's where you need him (operating on the whole 'isolated wireless matrix office concept') or physically mod his cyberarm to be a near-drone which also screws you over since to actually do anything useful with his cyberarm (besides making him punch himself, goose pretty girls, etc) you'd need to do far more work than just hacking it. It's easier to hack his commlink if your average wageslave is going to subscribe his arm, since the important info is (usually) in the commlink. I just don't see major corporations letting something like storing valuable data on a wirelessly accessible device or cyberimplant get out of hand.

Where hacking a limb/device seems more useful is in the middle of combat, where a hacker can hit AR and tell the newbie street Samurai to shoot his friend, his assualt rifle to drop the clip, etc. But it's just logical to assume that the majority of cyberware/devices that are easy to hack... are worthless to hack. Commlinks are the exception, obviously. Since devices have a near-unlimited storage capacity, it'd be a very clueless individual who stored any critical data on their least secure device. Remember, the computer is still 'new' to a large percentage of our population, but by 2070 you'd hope that basic matrix security is as common knowledge as locking a door is now.

I think you could have some fun with Wageslave Bob in having his cyberarm host your illegal program selling scheme, but other than that, I really don't see any use for hacking exposed cyberware other than entertainment value "I turned his legs off... again!! AHAHAHAHA!!!".

Yup--and, unless someone managed to get to him in time to resuscitate, he's toast, and good riddance.

And in case any of this is true at all...

I've worked for a small ISP and provided phone support as well. Lucky for me, the userlist was small and local so in worst cases (and yes, I've taught people to right-click and click and drag too) I'd just go to their house.

But the premise still stands. People today (counting the worldwide population) are not computer savvy. But in 60+ years, that should change. And pure literacy wouldn't be needed, since they've shifted society towards an icon-based literacy. Look at your cell phone right now. If you can, shift the language to something totally different, and notice the icons remain the same... you could probably hand your phone to a friend and have them use it, even if they hadn't used it before and didn't speak the language.. because the icons are pretty universal.

And remember, turning off the wireless functionality of your cyberware/other device is a simple command. If someone can use a commlink (and by RAW everyone does) then someone can easily tell a device to turn off wireless functionality. They don't even mention the ways it can be done, so I'd guess you could do it by 'thinking' the command, definitely by commlink or possibly even by voice! It's re-enabling the wireless that needs the physical action.

I think that people are forgetting how easy blocked that security loophole is, but I also see people who forget to turn off their cell phones in theaters even after they're reminded about forty-five times.

Again, the prevalence of Wageslaves Bob and Jane wandering around oblivious to the fact their 'ware and devices are script kiddie bait is up to the GM. I'd say that it was pretty rare, as the corp security wouldn't let it continue if they all wanted to keep their jobs. But your mileage may vary. In my mind, turning off wireless functionality is something the runners learn to do religiously, like learning to use a white noise generator in SR1+ whenever you wanted to ensure privacy.