Ok first I've read and reread all the relevant sections in BBB and Unwired now. Passkeys seem to be designed to keep people out of the system. But really don't seem to succeed at that. Passkey's do not hamper a hacking attempted number wise. A hacker can still get in and merely needs to edit access logs after ever action. The more powerful the system the longer between access log checks, now that seems the opposite of what it should be. Lastly the systems spider if standing around staring at the logs maybe see both passkey and non passkey actions being performed. So all a passkey seems to accomplish is forcing a hacker to edit the logs after actions or for more powerful systems every couple of actions. Am I missing something here?

I think that the intention is that most systems that use passkeys also use patrolling IC or spiders. The fact that you don't have a legitimate passkey is one of the bits of information that can be determined with a Matrix Perception test. Sure, you can run Stealth, but it only takes one bad roll on your side and the proverbial jig is up.

References are in like 3 or more places in Unwired. Pg73 Does mention IC analyzing Icons in Passkey system every few minutes for more powerful systems with a log check lag.

edit: Its all there just takes some referencing.

I think your missing the topology aspect of security. Passkeys would only be good if they kept people OUT of the wireless network areas. From reading Unwired it sounds like the passkey locks sit outside of the secured area and are wired together with fiberoptic cable in the walls. Those same walls have RF blocking paint or something so that a hacker can't access the nodes, which include the security node. To bypass the passkey you need to physically hack it or have some sort of fake key that the system recognizes to open the door.

Of course once you are in you can then hack the security node to remove traces that the door opened at that time or do other edits to the logs. The IC scanning the lock is to see if they can detect the fake key used or to recognize the fact the lock was tampered with.

wrong kind of passkey. this is about the passkeys for matrix access, as found on page 215-216 of the main book (and expanded on in unwired, but i'm too lazy to look up those references for you also =P )

Ok, I was under the impression that there was a diffrence between a passcode and a passkey. Passcodes can be hacked to hell and back

I double checked that the OP was asking about passkeys but I know how people exchange the words.

no, there's 2 different kinds of passkeys. there's a maglock passkey that lets you try to open maglocks (which as far as i can tell, you seem to have been thinking of, since you're talking about locks and keeping people out of an area with wifi inhibiting materials and such). and there's passkeys as found on page 215-216 of the main book, which is basically a physical object that the system expects you to have attached to your commlink to be considered a legitimate user, and which are elaborated on in unwired. it is distinct from a passcode.