The Pardus Manual introduces the role of a Hacker:

In a highly developed universe almost all technical facilities are connected via networks and approachable via terminal stations. By infiltrating these systems, experienced computer pirates can steal valuable information and possibly sell it. This is called Hacking.

Hackers are very useful to help locate enemies and provide support to fighters especially in times of war. They are often the silent hero in a campaign – but can make a good income selling their services to the highest bidder.

Based on the Hack skill spreadsheet and Pardus Forums – Hack Knowledge Thread

What do I need to do to be a Hacker?

You need to improve your Hack skill to a point where you can hack information that will be of use to you. That point will vary for each hacker – driven by how much information they want to gather.

For example: a Skilled hack will show the current cluster of the pilot, a Freak hack will add the sector of the pilot, and a Guru hack will add their coordinates.

A Hacker with Hack skill of at least 50 is a good initial goal. Doing so with Hack efficiency Advanced Skill is useful if you want to be more AP efficient. Adding the Echo hack Advanced Skill is the next goal. The rest of a Hacker’s career can be spent improving their Hack skill to get better and better chances of success using the Guru hack.

The best way to improve your Hack skill is to hack a faction pilot while at the Blackmarket of a faction Planet or Starbase.

• use Brute hack until Hack skill 25
• use Skill hack from Hack skill 25 to 50
• use Freak hack from Hack skill 50

Because of the risk of getting a faction bounty, EPS pilots are advised to use a different set of rules:

• Trade log hack a neutral player Starbase until Hack skill 40
• Planet log or Starbase log hack at a neutral Planet or Starbase from Hack skill 40

Watch your reputation

You will get a bounty from the faction whose pilot you are hacking if they detect you (they can detect you whether you fail or succeed in the hack – but the chance is much less if you are successful). These bounties lead to a -5 daily reputation loss against that faction until they are gone (either expiring or being collected by another pilot).

You will also get reputation loss each time you fail a hack based on the type of hack you were attempting. This could lead to you losing safety or even docking rights at a faction Planet.

The Pardus Manual has a detailed breakdown of reputation loss should you be interested in specifics.

It is a good idea to hack train at a player owned Starbase where you have been friended – and don’t hack your own faction if you can avoid it (you could eventually be kicked from your faction if your reputation drops too low).

Killing Inexperienced Pirates and Experienced Pirates as well as completing missions will improve your reputation (but distracts from training your Hack skill).

How long will it take?

Because you get diminishing returns as your Hack skill improves, it will take you longer to improve when you are higher skilled. The tables below give a good approximation of days.

Begin hacking using a Brute hack to give you more successful hacks (which mean better gains in your Hack skill).

* adjusted to account for Brute hack not being 100% success rate until Hack skill 20

If you like, switch to Skilled hack (now at 100% success rate).

If you like, switch to Freak hack (now at 100% success rate).