Stack Encryption

Under normal circumstances, a Cortical Stack is a "write-only" device, which is deliberately isolated from most other data connections and storage to take only the neural network snapshots required for a backup. They can only be read using specialized equipment which is very expensive, and in many cases not portable. Even so, Even so, some people are worried about others having access to their stack in case they die or are killed. This has led to a proliferation of security measures, like Dead Switches, False Deaths, Self-Destructs, autodelete or copy-protection software and more. But for some, there are simpler solutions, though they have their own ups and downs.

Stack Encryption: This implant overhauls the cortical stack storage medium and it's underlying software, encoding brainscans in simple but hard to break encryption to prevent unauthorized users from reading the stack. The key to this encryption is usually held by a backup service, offsite data security, or with passwords/keys in the possession of the user (which means if you kill someone to take their stack, you can't get the password). A morph with Stack Encryption enabled gives a -30 penalty to Psychosurgery attempts to access or edit the backup data on the stack, and similar penalties to any InfoSec/Interfacing tests to tamper with the stack while still hooked up in a morph unless they have authorized access (or take time to break the encryption with a Quantum Codebreaking Computer). Normally this can only be installed in a morph with a Cortical Stack, but infomorphs may also take this as a Software Plugin which encrypts and obfuscates ego data recorded on a server - but would require another plugin like Emergency Backup (p. 140 Transhuman) to work. [Moderate]

Most insurance companies and several governments with resleeving programs actually ban or carefully regulate Stack Encryption because it harms their ability to do their job, and one often has to pay higher premiums on a Backup Insurance contract if your stack is to be encrypted and the company to store the authorization data. More security focused governments also ban this as part of their efforts to promote public safety - as it is very hard to interview someone in case of an accident or crime if their stack cannot be read. On the other hand, Covert Operatives engaging in risky operations may prefer encryption to Dead Switches or highly expensive emergency farcasters or QE comms - as the encryption can be held by their home agency and used to recover intel or egos if they are lost.

Gambler's Chip

The "transhuman future" has done little to impact the human nature of Gambling. While the Fall makes plenty of people strongly risk averse, in general society does little to actively discourage the occasional game of chance and skill. Legal, illegal and in-between gambling exists all across the Solar System, taking both traditional forms (sports bets, classic casino games, electronic games, etc) to new forms of games such as the incredibly complex "neopoker". Some games are cultural, others are played for their specific odds or skills. Some betting involves no "game" at all; dead pool, bets on Scum olympics, all kinds of things which rely on the skills of others. In this complex world, humans have always turned to technology to give an edge on situations beyond their control.

Gambler's Chip: Also known by nicknames of "Red Queen", "Pocket Ace" or "Skifter", this old-fashioned cyberware implant is a dedicated probability calculator armed with a small suite of data analysis and prediction software. From an age before bioware mental augmentations were common, this unit allows dedicated processing of data from sensory input (through an interface with a mesh insert or cyberbrain usually) without any conscious input and give suggestions to a user in their AR feed. Because this narrower focus is usually limited to analyzing odds and probabilities for chance - it is less complex and cheaper than Probability Mapping software (p. 156 Panopticon). It grants the user a +10 on all tests where the chip can help them predict the outcome of events, and also usually helps the user recognize dangerous outcomes, granting +1 on Initiative. [Low]

As noted above, the Gambler's Chip is from the Per-Fall time, when bioware mental augmentations like Math Boost and Eidetic Memory (p. 301 EP) were not as common or reliable to install. So, the chip comes in as a dedicated card to store and process data directly without input from the user. Such devices were banned in almost any casino, and many countries (not want to be seen as enabling a bad habit) heavily restricted or banned their installation. After the Fall, however, they've had a resurgence, not just by those with an affection for the old "chrome", but as regulations on implants grow looser over time. It is recommended, however, that one Mask (p. 148 Panopticon) such an implant before going to a reputable gaming house.

The modern Gambler's Chip is not only burned with the rules for most common games in it's memory, but is independently mesh-enabled to learn new rules and probabilities on the fly. However, the device is not infallible. It requires the user to be able to see certain information in order to best process it and generate odds, and the user must have time and concentration to observe and utilize the data it gives on their own. While a Muse can monitor chip output, this still is a singular data stream it must focus on. Additionally, without secondary implants such as Mental Speed, the chip still can require time to analyze and output data, and may lag when confronted with multiple complex calculations at once. It works best when the user has time to think about the outcomes the chip provides, not make snap decisions.

Memory Wipe

While memories may never have been "sacred", the transhuman future means that a person's memories are more readily accessible by others than ever before. This means that to protect secrets or intentions, some people occasionally block or erase memories to keep them from others. Commonly, this involves devices such as the Memory Lock (p. 149 Panopticon) or drugs like Grey Ranks (p. 175 Firewall) to block long-term memories from forming. Others may undergo lengthy and possibly damaging psychosurgery to remove or alter their own memories, and similar processes can be done with Brainhacking. The fact that editing memories stored in a cyberbrain is much easier led to the advent of this particular technology, used by some criminal or special operations types.

Memory Wipe: The Memory Wipe is an add-on which integrates with Mnemonic Augmentation, such as is automatically included in Cyberbrains or Infomorphs. It serves as an automated process to delete certain memories stored in Mnemonic Augmentation, which puts them out of reach of brainhackers and psychosurgeons. This system can be fairly nuanced, either able to delete all memories held in a single period of time (up to one week), or memories can be "tagged" for deletion in the interface (Make an Interfacing test to tag memories in a pinch) and all scrubbed at once as a Complex Action. This can be highly disorienting to some people, as memory wipe users are often conscious and aware they have wiped their own memories, and thus keenly aware they can now no longer remember something. A gamemaster's discretion, deleting more than several continuous minutes of memories may require the user to make a Continuity test (p. 272 EP) to handle the possible stress. Like with many computer systems, the speed at which the Memory Wipe removes the memories means they are often not completely deleted, and a psychosurgeon may attempt to recover the memories with a -30 Psychosurgery test, in an action which may take minutes or hours of work depending on how much memory was deleted. This augmentation is also available as a software upgrade for Infomorphs. Requires Mnemonic Augmentation. [Moderate]