Cyberpunk 2077 – Hacking Explained and Breach Protocol Tips

Hacking is layered in Cyberpunk 2077. In this guide we’ll explain the two kinds of hacking you can do, explain the hacking minigame in detail, and provide tips for better hacking.

Cyberpunk hacking is complex, but here’s the short and sweet explainer. Hacking can be split into these two sections:

• Quickhacking – This is the hacking you do with your scanner on enemies and electric-powered objects. The number of actions you can do depends on the Quickhack cost and the amount of RAM you have. The RAM is determined by V’s operating system, which you can upgrade at a Ripperdoc.
• Hacking Access Points with Breach Protocol – Access Points are laptops, antenna, or other spots where V can jack in and you’ll play the Breach Protocol hacking minigame. You’ll also do a simpler version of Breach Protocol on targets and any tech you don’t jack into for bonus things like reducing RAM cost of hacks by one. If you play the hacking minigame in the right order, you can unlock more than one sequence for greater rewards.

Now, let’s get into the deep dives.

Quickhacking Guide

As stated above, Quickhacking is the action you do with your scanner to use a Daemon, or a hack on select electric-powered object or an enemy. V has to scan the item or person, and if they can be hacked, you’ll see a two menus to flip through in the scanner.

With your base scanner and its perks you’ll see this for normal objects and civilians:

If you scan an object connected to an enemy network or the enemy themselves, you’ll get the Hacking tab in addition to the data:

The Elements of Quickhacking

Quickhacking has four main elements: the target, available Quickhacks, RAM, and the Hacking info panel.

1. The Target: This one is rather obvious, but your target changes what Quickhacks are available to you. For instance, if you’re hacking a device, you can’t burn out its synapses as it, you know, doesn’t have eyes. You’ll have the most options on human targets.

2. Available Quickhacks: Again, the Quickhacks available depend on your target. If a Quickhack is blocked out in red that means it’s already in use or you don’t have enough RAM to use it.

3. Cyberdeck RAM: The RAM allotted to V depends on their Operating System, something you can upgrade at a Ripperdoc. This is found in the Cyberdeck section of the menu. The Operating System also determines how many Quickhacks you can have equipped and the sort of things you can hack.

4. Data and Hacking :Note that you can get important information from the Data tab about your enemy. This includes their specialization(are they a regular goon or are they a Netrunner?), their affiliation, whether or not they have a bounty and if you’ll get Street Cred for taking them out, and their strengths and weaknesses. This can be hugely important when taking on a boss. The hacking tab gives descriptions for the Quickhack you have selected.

How to Get More RAM

To get more RAM you’ll need to save your eurodollars and visit a Ripperdoc. Then, select the Operating System section to see what the Ripperdoc has to offer (you can also take a look at the Ripperdoc Locations and Abilities List). Ripperdocs don’t have the same stock, so it’s worth considering your options before buying.

We recommend your first upgrade be at least a Rare OS rather than an Uncommon.

How to Get More Quickhacks

The easiest way to get new Quickhack options is to buy them from a Netrunner. They run shops just like any other merchant and each one will sell different Quickhack daemons.

You can also craft your own Quickhacks. Some Quickhacks and Quickhack upgrades can be obtained through Intelligence Perks.

Quickhacking Tips

Here are some things to keep in mind while Quickhacking:

• Make it a rule to always start an encounter with Breach Protocol, even if you don’t plan on using stealth for long. It’ll reduce the cost of Quickhacks by one RAM.
• If you use Ping you can find the Access Point in the area. All connected devices will Ping a specific the Access Point device.
• Though time moves slowly when you’re scanning and hacking, time hasn’t stopped completely. Be aware of V’s position so they don’t get spotted.