Anticipating Grid 3.0 and it's new password system (aka one is generated for every created account), an idea came to mind. Keyloggers.
Skills required:
Elecro tech, programming.
Tech required*:
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mentioned items by name on the boards, so I'll leave that out for now.
Idea:
Keyloggers can be utilized to acquire passwords, written messages, see what nodes have been edited etc on a specific terminal. It's a way for crackers to gain access to data otherwise near impossible (if they rely on their own skillsets) to find.
It's the joint effort of a hardware cracker and a software programmer, creating more opportunities for characters with this specific skillset to thrive outside of a corporate environment, but it also keeps it risky and fun.
Components:
Touch-sensitive membrane: This is necessary to create the membrane that registers keystrokes, and it can be extracted from devices that use touch technology.
Power source: This is required to power the Hardware Keylogger as eventually it'll run out of juice and cease to function entirely, mostly for balance.
Data cache: This will store the keylog created, and will have to be extracted physically from the device in order to be accessed. Another balancing factor.
Creation (hardware):
After ripping the tech apart, the electro technician needs to put it all together and make it a singular item. Their skill level (if it's even high enough to create the item to begin with) will decide how energy efficient the keylogger will be.
Once the Hardware Keylogger has been put together by an electro-technician, a programmer will need to make it 'think.' Without the code to back the hardware it, it's completely useless.
Creation (software):
The programmer's skill level holds great importance, as it will be a large factor on how successful the keylogger will be in reading keystrokes properly. A poor programmer will end up with only bits and pieces of data, chunks of keylogs missing, as most of it is lost due to shoddy code.
Installation (hardware):
Once the Hardware Keylogger has been coded and finalized, it's ready to go. An electro technician with the right tools and skills rigs the target terminal with the Hardware Keylogger, powers it on, and that's where the timer starts ticking.
Retrieval (hardware):
Once the characters responsible think that the Hardware Keylogger has done it's job, they have to re-acquire the target terminal and remove the Data Cache. The results of their hard work will be found on it (unless the programmer fucked up real bad hehe).
Detection (secure tech?):
This is a section I'm struggling with. Perhaps a secure technician can use their skills and tools to 'scan' terminals for illicit hardware. I'd love some help with this section.
Summary:
A piece of highly illegal tech that gives programmers/electro-techs a new use, mostly data retrieval. The fact remains that the target terminal needs to be acquired before any modifications are done to it, adding risk factor, and opportunities for characters with other skillsets to join in.
I'm just brainstorming here, this is nowhere near a full concept, but I'd love to hear feedback and see if the rest of the community has any ideas to throw onto this.
*Parts cannibalized from more expensive tech might yield better results.
