Something that's always bugged me about hacking in games is that the metaphor that they use to describe it is physical combat and "if you die in the matrix, you die in real life". *cringe*
I'm not looking for "realistic" hacking. If I want real hacking I'll go and actually do some hacking. What would be great is to have a system for hacking that presents the actual challenges a hacker can face in a fun and easy way.
I don't care if you're sitting at a command line or have a neural connection to a matrix style environment. The challenges should be similar since they're still based on the same physical infrastructure and security protocols.
So what are these challenges? What's fun about hacking? The way I see it, hacking is partially stealth, partly of knowledge and partially an issue of way finding. You're trying to find the path of least resistance. You're trying to use your knowledge, or steal someone else's. You're trying to stay undetected and cover your tracks.
I liked and think the principals could be applied here. That alone would give you skill challenges. If anything, the analog of surveying a target and trying to learn patterns and who is involved in the intrusion is a big part of hacking and so it all applies here.
Using knowledge you have has the potential to get you most of the way to a secure site but there should be an element of stealing other people's knowledge. Describing social engineering and the way of tricking or charming people into divulging information is really important. Deducing things about a person by looking into their background is another important aspect.
Wayfinding is a difficult one, or simple dependent on your point of view. It could be made simple by the right metaphors. For example, describing a computer system as an army base is somewhat accurate and useful for people that don't know computers. You can't fight your way in, easily anyway. But sneaking in is more likely. If you can work your way into a lower security base, and then use whatever credentials you gain to walk into a higher security base, you've got an entry point.
What would you like to see in a hacking module for a game? Do you think I've defined the challenge properly? Did I miss an important challenge? Do you have a favorite way of handling the challenges I've already mentioned?