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  • Secure Tech's Future.
  • Branching off from townhall.

Secure Tech's Future.
Branching off from townhall.

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It didn't end up as a topic, but was mentioned in a quote from Slither:

"Fengshui says loudly, "Other tech skills, specifically secure tech, could likely use some love. Secure tech is good for things like vehicle theft, security system debugging, security installs/uninstalls, and security device resets. Those are fairly specific situations. We either need to add more situations to increase the usability of the skill or perhaps consider combining electro tech and secure tech, so that the resulting skill has more overall usage. I don't have a plan for this currently, but it is rattling around in my head.""

I brought up the topic in the topic suggestion, so I just wanted to get out some thoughts.

In the list uses for secure tech, bugging/debugging exists but I don't know if it's what any one would call functionally useful outside of a few niche situations (and is also limited in what it can apply to for use).

So secure tech can be boiled down to helping in some vehicle thefts at one stage and security installs/resets.

Grid 4.0 got several cool functions and ability that kind of drift over into what someone might expect from secure tech (or electro), and that's cool. I'm genuinely happy for deckers. But it does cut down some into what could've been cool additions for secure tech and comes without necessarily all the in-person risk that happens for someone with secure-tech. Now there's the good argument that a good decker needs UE investment in three skills where secure tech really needs just secure tech. But I've got a different argument:

Because of how installs work, secure tech installs never deteriorate over time. So that leads to people who invest in secure tech needing to continually invest points just to prevent their own stuff from getting torn down, but also so they can even try to have a chance at some real old installs from people who invested tons and tons of UE and might not be here anymore. And since secure tech only has about one other real consistent use, that pretty much feels like a lot of UE investment isn't for learning new abilities, opening up new pathways to plots or usefulness.. but to fight for the highest install safety rate. Vehicle theft levels off after a bit where the install stuff doesn't, since you're fighting other player investment and not objects.

(I'm also not sure if installs are weighing the stat investment as heavily as some other skills might, but I'm possibly wrong).

Additionally, a skill that complements security installs - like stealth - gets immediately negated by one simple, cheap, and easily available IC item in-game that automatically bypasses that investment to try to complement. In my opinion vastly overpowered and infuriatingly frustrating. I would love if this could be reconsidered.

My suggestions would be one or some of these suggestions:

!. Allow secure tech to work to counter some of the grid 4.0 stuff on physical items that they're already traditionally linked to (like installed security gear) or stuff you think they could be linked to when imagining secure tech (doors and similar).

2. Create a crafting list for secure tech like electro tech gets, but with different items more fitting to secure tech or components to complement other skills' crafting.

3. Allow for original installs to fade in over time so it won't take near the same skill level to uninstall, making it so top-end secure techs don't feel like they only need to invest more UE to pull down old installs or keep theirs up permanently.

4. This one is much harder, I think: the tracking bugs get reworked and opened up to
more stuff and with an escalating difficulty.

5. Or just merge electro tech and secure tech into one skill like was brought up in Slither's quote as a potential route.

By crashdown at Feb 1, 2026, 7:31 PM | 7
I think merging electro and secure tech would be an easy and great first step.
By Cowbell at Feb 1, 2026, 7:33 PM | 16
I could see merging Electro and Secure, since there's already some amount of overlap between the two in a lot of regards, given a lot of related equipment will use one or the other anyway, resulting in odd imbalances in install effectiveness.

My biggest question on that is how implementation would look: would all your UE in one be rolled into the other as far as possible? Your UE for one refunded, resulting in having to reinvest (and potentially running into assignment caps while you 'fix' it)? What about advantages/disadvantages?

Additionally, I do think the idea of "install decay" is a good idea. As it is, you seem to get this sort of "arms race" of who can have the highest skill/stats, with older legacy systems being basically untouchable without significant investment, limiting what someone new coming into the field can do.

By Aera at Feb 2, 2026, 1:28 AM | 2
I really love merging those two together, the way they are intertwined now is asking for it anyway in a lot of cases.

The idea of security decay is interesting too, but also got to balance it out against just becoming a chore, what are you thinking there Aera?

By Froggy at Feb 2, 2026, 3:24 AM | 0
I don't know how the difficulty of it is tracked internally, but if it's something like that it gets assigned a strength/difficulty at the time of the install, maybe have that slowly decrease over time. Likely by a linear amount, so that if you do a good job, it'll be more effective while also lasting longer. A percentage decrease could end up being more tedious, since you'd have to "fix" it more regularly regardless of your skill level and potential competition.

As an overly simplified example, say your install has a "strength" of 100. Have it decay by something really small, like 0.1 per day. This means you'd get 1000 days (so almost 3 years) before it's completely gone and some untrained baka with a Bronze Soft could nab it. But you'd have to be aware of potential competition that would be able to undo it much sooner, either getting them on your side or otherwise discouraging them from working against you.

I think this would also help serve to bring up some interesting interactions. Corp got cams in the Mix? May need to arrange an Op with your Sec team to make a trip to reinstall the cams so they don't get stolen. Or hire someone external, risking them selling info on which cams are yours. Could apply just as well to the quieter observers too, having to occasionally get out for similar reasons. And messing with cams *frequently* draws attention one way or another.

By Aera at Feb 2, 2026, 6:35 AM | 1
I've seen first hand how certain setup is impossible to remove by any PC, even with platinum skillsofts, just because some secure tech God setup the cameras years ago and nobody can compete with them.

Instead of having a fixed score that never changes, there should be a dice roll for the max score, min score, and "degradation rate" which should also consider other factors like location (I imagine Red would degrade faster than Green, for example), whether it's tampered with, and maybe weather.

Also secure tech and electro tech are so niche that it would make sense to merge them.

By villa at Feb 2, 2026, 6:38 AM | 3
"I've seen first hand how certain setup is impossible to remove by any PC, even with platinum skillsofts, just because some secure tech God setup the cameras years ago and nobody can compete with them."

I remember going on my fist stakeout with a prominent solo in the mix, and their complaint was mostly the person of interest having a really good camera network that they inherited. I don't know if that's true, or if it matters, but I suggested why don't we just take them down? The answer just sounded cheesy and meta to me because it was exactly what Villa is talking about. Some ancient camera specialist who devoted a, perhaps, psychotic amount of ue into being a secure tech (joking), put these cameras up years ago and the screws are just so good they can't come out!

I think there has to be a better answer for this. Your gear and items shouldn't be forever, or even really yours. You should consider them to be on loan to you until you lose them. You paid to rent the equipment until someone else acquires it, or you can pay to aggressively protect it! Either way there should be some form of being able to remedy this particular issue.

By Mindhunter at Feb 2, 2026, 6:51 AM | 7
The two skills often confuse new players. I'de be all for merging them.

Know how many times i've had to explain that person X can only install Teevees, and person y can only install monitors, so if you want one of both, you gotta hire them both?

Way to many.

By SmokePotion at Feb 3, 2026, 11:28 AM | 5
These two skills just confuse me. I don't know which one is good for what. I've been told contradictions about either one and yeah..it really should be merged together.
By Terrible_the_duck at Feb 3, 2026, 11:30 AM | 3
The separation between Electro and Secure Tech, as stated before, leaves a lot to be desired. I agree that merging the two could be a good first step into actually making those skills.. not as much of a slog to get into.
By Hivemind at Apr 1, 2026, 7:06 AM | 1
I believe I pitched merging Secure and Electro years ago somewhere, and still very much support that change. They both have useful and interesting applications, but on their own it doesn't quite feel like enough to be worth the UE cost and the fact they're so often neglected says as much.
By Nymphali at Apr 2, 2026, 10:54 AM | 2
I really like the idea of decay in general, so I'm definitely down for having installs get easier to remove over time. Though I'd definitely suggest some kind of maintenance being a thing. Like checking on your equipment every week, tighten up the screws, make sure the wires are good, patch up damage from rats…
By TwistedAkai at Apr 2, 2026, 11:07 AM | 2
Yep, I'd be up for merging both of them.
By Beepboop at Apr 6, 2026, 1:34 AM | 2
I am not opposed to merging them since the bifurcation is clunky to explain IC. The knowledge of some of the use cases for some of these things seems to have faded (yes I acknowledge they are niche use cases with their own pros and cons but they do have use) so I suspect what we also have is an education issue.

For new players especially, I understand it's hard to know what you don't know. Or know what to ask when you don't know. I think it's important to think about how to create an education pipeline that allows for discovery and learning of knowledge that has been lost/is less used.

I love the idea of whichever tech being a counter to grid stuff which got a boost. In general any tech or grid skills that have not seen love, I think are good to pay attention to. Being a super solo is 100% a valid play style, so is being 'insert type of' nerd, and the more love non combat gets the more diverse of an RP environment there is.

I agree with crashdown's frustration over that singular IC thing, super frustrating and I wish this were more nuanced like a roll based on the player's stats or skills to be able to succeed or not.

Camera/installation degradation is a tricky one. Inherited systems can get wild so I do think a reset of some sort helps level the playing field, but having to constantly upkeep a system does feel like a responsibility that can eventually get onerous. I wanna touch grass. We should all touch grass more and I mean that in the best, non-derisive way. There is clearly a sore spot here that needs addressing. If degredation is the way staff wish to go ultimately, I would ask for reasonable time frames that are not punishing.

(Edited by meowlorde at 10:56 am on 6/23/2026)

By meowlorde at Jun 23, 2026, 10:55 AM | 0
I mean, on that topic, I'm still not really in favor of decking being an entirely non-combat archetype. In literally every other cyberpunk setting deckers can be and are extremely lethal and can 100% go toe to toe with solos. But in Sindome they're stuck turning off cameras for 20 minutes at a time and pulling not-very-important data from devices.
By Baguette at Jun 23, 2026, 11:20 AM | 1
Given the importance of information and Deckers' ability to both obtain data and deny others some things, Deckers seem especially strong now, even if they're not on the combat end. Kind of like Secure Tech. It's more about the information game than fighting.
By Aera at Jun 23, 2026, 11:33 AM | 1
The data deckers can obtain, with one or two exceptions, isn't really anything to write home about.

(Edited by Baguette at 11:34 am on 6/23/2026)

By Baguette at Jun 23, 2026, 11:34 AM | 0
Please don't sidetrack the thread into talk about decker shortcomings. If you've got concerns and suggestions about decker weakness, please start it in a new thread. I made this thread to talk about the real shortcomings and frustrations of secure tech.
By crashdown at Jun 23, 2026, 11:37 AM | 0
I think you underestimate the impact the changes to Deckers has had. For example, I almost never go off alias to make snarky/combative comments on pubSIC anymore because of how much easier it is to trace to my character than it used to be. Or rarely use 'off aliases' at all. It may not seem like much to you, but it feels substantial having to be that much more wary/cautious. Maybe I'm alone in that thought, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if others have similarly changed how they RP as a result of things like that.

Edit: Sorry, crashdown. That's all I wanted to say. I'll remain on topic.

Do still think combining Secure Tech and Electro Tech into one would be nice.

(Edited by Aera at 11:43 am on 6/23/2026)

By Aera at Jun 23, 2026, 11:39 AM | 0
I missed one of crashdown's suggested changes that I want to reiterate and feel could really be a game changer: let's please please work out the kinks for tracking bugs and bring some more depth to them.

There is so much potential and there are uses, but the drawbacks are convoluted to explain IC and it's hard to know what lies in coded bug territory versus what is intended for balance purposes.

Edit: Also adding, Baguette, you make a great point that deckers do not have to be full non combat. Agreed! Neither do other-tech people, it's a give and take and everyone should make the personal choice IC of what to invest in knowing there's pros and cons and where your story leads you.

(Edited by meowlorde at 12:53 pm on 6/23/2026)

By meowlorde at Jun 23, 2026, 12:48 PM | 0
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