Spy

Spy (ver 2.0) is a Mission type where players are tasked with extracting confidential data from enemy data servers.

Mechanics
Spy missions require players to locate consoles found in Data Vaults, which are special rooms featuring heavy security and advanced defense mechanisms guarding the console access terminals. Each mission will have three separate Data Vaults, of which all three must be breached and attempted before extraction becomes available. Players must breach the Data Vault rooms and then hack the access console in order to extract the data. If a Tenno trips over the Data Vault's security features, or an enemy activates the Data Vault's alarm, the Data Vault's defense mechanisms and enemy reinforcements become active, and a countdown timer will initiate indicating the time until the data is wiped off the server, giving players 20 to 50 seconds (depending on difficulty) in which to attempt to reach the console and hack it.

Similar to Rescue Prison Complexes, Data Vaults often feature alternate paths and tunnels that can be used to stealthily bypass the Data Vault's defenses, allowing for stealthy completion of a Data Vault.

End-of-mission rewards for Spy missions depends on the number of Data Vaults successfully hacked, with at least one vault hack needing to be successful in order to accomplish the mission.

Variations

 * Spy Alert missions will require a minimum number of vaults successfully hacked in order to be complete the mission: Normal Alert missions require a minimum of 2 vaults hacked, while Corpus Merchant Ship Alerts require all 3 vaults hacked.

Defenses
Apart from enemies patrolling the rooms, the Corpus and Grineer have different emplaced defenses set up around their Data Vaults, with the defenses present depending on the variant of Data Vault. The defenses present will initiate each vault's alarm if tripped. Some security measures can be disabled if nearby panels are hacked.

Corpus

 * Security Camera: Security Cameras in Data Vaults will trigger alarms if they spot the player. It is possible to instantly destroy them without triggering the alarm.
 * Laser Barriers: Tripping over laser barriers in Data Vaults triggers the alarms. Unlike the normal Laser Barriers, those found in Data Vaults have a variety of mechanisms to confuse players, such as laser barriers that move, and barriers that periodically deactivate. Invisible players will still activate the alarms, but players in the Rift Plane will not.

Grineer

 * Sensor Bar: Data Vault alarms can be triggered by passing through energy doors that deal proc. Some energy doors in a Data Vault may not have Sensor Bars attached to them, making them impossible to deactivate, while others may blink on and off periodically, which can catch players unaware. Invisible players will still activate the alarms if they pass through.
 * Motion Detector: Some Grineer vaults have defenses involving scanners that sweep a yellow energy curtain across the console, triggering the alarm if the curtain is touched. These scanners have to be deactivated using consoles within the Data Vault to ensure safe hacking.
 * Sensor Regulator: These mobile Regulator variants patrol Data Vaults, and will trigger alarms if they spot a player or take damage and survive.
 * Spark - A unique variant of the Bombard can appear as reinforcements if multiple Data Vault alarms have been tripped.
 * Lynx -  One particular vault layout for Grineer Spy missions has an idle Lynx  suspended from the ceiling of the terminal room. Should the players trip the alarm the Lynx will activate and begin attacking nearby players.

Some Data Vaults may also feature security doors and pit traps that will engage and close upon alarms being triggered, which can impede a player's movement through the vault.

Whether a player succeeds or fails in retrieving the data inside the Data Vault, the vault itself will become easier to exit from: Corpus Data Vaults will have their laser defenses and any pit traps deactivated, while Grineer Data Vaults can open alternate passages that lead to the exit.

Rewards
Each Data Vault will reward from 1000 to 4000 Affinity for a successful hack, which will be tripled if completed without triggering the alarms. The Affinity earned is dependent on the complexity of the Vault, and corresponds with enemy level.

Spy missions can reward the following items upon successful completion. Each Vault hacked will reward one item, regardless if done stealthily or not.

Tips

 * If there is a general alarm as you traverse the level, wait until you arrive at a vault to disable it. Any previously alerted enemies won't reactivate the alarm unless they were already in the process of doing so.
 * When you enter a vault, the alertness levels of most enemies outside it will drop, and they will not follow you in (though they may patrol through the now unlocked doors.) It is advisable to wait a moment in the vault's antechamber in case you unknowingly encounter one of the exceptions. Exceptions include:
 * Drahk
 * Drahk Masters
 * Rollers
 * Latchers
 * Melee units (ex. Scorpions, Butchers, Prod Crewmen)
 * Shockwave MOAs
 * Timing in the vaults is based on when you begin to hack the door. If you take longer on your hack, enemies will have progressed along their patrol routes.
 * When enemies set off the alarms in the vault themselves, their trigger functioning is similar to that of a regular alarm, meaning if the map dedicated alarms haven't been activated in a while then they will have a good chance to raise the vault alarms.
 * Sentinels and Kubrows do not trigger Sensor Regulators or Laser Barriers, allowing free usage inside Data Vaults, however they can still trigger the alarms if they attack enemies.
 * Various Frames can make the vault easy.
 * Limbo can make various parts of both Corpus and Grineer spy vaults trivial, as being in the Rift Plane allows you to walk through laser barriers and energy doors without triggering an alarm. Cataclysm can be used to destroy cameras on the other sides of walls.
 * Loki can use Decoy and then Switch Teleport to bypass barriers and obstacles.
 * However, Decoy appears to be able to trigger Grineer's energy door, if it passes through them, ie. when placed on the conveyor belt.
 * Valkyr can use Rip Line to quickly navigate obstacles, as well as silently destroy Security Cameras.
 * Mirage's Sleight Of Hand can be used to disable Cameras in Corpus vaults. This will also affect consoles however (on both Corpus and Grineer maps), prompting enemies to try and raise the alarm, which may be an intended effect, as the resulting explosion may kill the guard, or at least prevent them to use the console until Sleight of Hand expires. Note that Sleight of Hand does NOT affect laser barriers in Corpus vaults. It also seems that activating sleight of Hand too close to a Sensor Regulator can cause it to trigger the alarm.
 * A Nova using Worm Hole can also easily bypass parts of various vaults, especially Corpus ones, as going through Worm Holes does not trigger Laser Barriers or Sensor Bars.
 * An Equinox in Night Aspect using Rest can put Sensor Regulators to sleep, allowing for easy evasion during the duration of the ability.
 * If you are having trouble solving advanced Corpus consoles, try this user guide.

Trivia

 * Oddly, the Codex entry still shows the previous Grineer Spy 1.0 terminal, although it has been completely discarded from the game.

Bugs

 * Spy missions sometimes fail even if no data is lost.
 * Occasionally hitting a barrier directly outside the vault will trip the alarm.
 * Since Lynx is labeled as a Corpus unit, if one causes Lynx to spawn in the Grineer vault it will attack both Tenno and Grineer.
 * Occasionally, in the Grineer "conveyor belt" vault, the visual effect for the blast effect walls will not render. They still behave normally. Their location can be identified by the frame in place where it normally is, with a yellow tint to it.
 * In solo mode, triggering the alarm, then dying and using revive will freeze the timer, giving unlimited time to hack the console.
 * Before Update 16.4, the reward from the first would be duplicated at the end, giving the impression that a 4th extra reward would be given if the vaults were stealthily hacked.

Media
Spionage