PSN Attack Shows New Focus for Hackers

wooty

Vi Britannia
Aug 1, 2009
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God, I miss the good old days when stealing money just meant beating people up at train stations or buying a cricket bat an entering the nearest post office.

I'm not usually one to feel worried about theft, but cyber crimes really make me edgy, especially now.
 

Giest4life

The Saucepan Man
Feb 13, 2010
1,554
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The_root_of_all_evil said:
Logan Westbrook said:
Users trade security for usability, experts warn, and that can give hackers a way in.


While you're loving how easy consoles make your game-playing, you have to remember that that's why things like the PSN account debacle can happen.
I think this was my laugh-of-the-day even though the tragic background for the comic. LOL!
 

xhable

New member
Oct 17, 2008
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sure... only Sony didn't even bother to hash their passwords... Less about usability as it is incompetence.
 

Canadish

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Jul 15, 2010
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Oh no.
Something bad happened.
Quick quick. Increase security.
Get the thumb scanners.
Get the Iris scanners.
Give Sony more information. For security.

Seriously, if they trying to use this to say "Cyber terrorism" is on the rise, and add more security to everything...I fucking called it.
 

Kair

New member
Sep 14, 2008
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It's a product of a failed world. If you allow the failure you must also allow its effects.
 

viranimus

Thread killer
Nov 20, 2009
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Users trade security for usability, experts warn, and that can give hackers a way in.- Security analysts
VS

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin - Ben Franklin

Who to believe, who to believe.

I have an idea... you want to ensure the saftey and security of networks like PSN, Facebook, etc? STOP REQUIRING REAL INFORMATION TO BE PUT INTO IT! There is absolutely NO reason why at any time anyone anywhere should EVER be required to put in legitimate information into the internet. When it happens, this is EXACTLY what your inviting to happen.

/dusts off hands.
 

geizr

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Oct 9, 2008
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I wouldn't mind a bit of inconvenience on login if it'll mean disasters like this are much less likely to happen. When I was playing World of Warcraft, I had the authenticator app on my iPhone tied to my account so that it was more difficult for hackers to keylog my login and steal my account. Something as simple as that would be perfectly acceptable to me as an extra layer of security.

However, from the sounds of this breech, this isn't a simple matter of hackers guessing a few weak password and logins from the front-end to steal people's information. This was a breech on the total backend administration of the entire system itself; basically, it sounds like the entire PSN got rooted. Even something like an authenticator is not going to help that kind of weakness in the system's security. Sony's going to need to either reconfigure their servers and software to better restrict administrative access to the system or throw away the current system entirely and replace it with something new and better. Honestly, I would advise the latter option, but that's just me going with a gut feeling on the matter.
 

Vilcus

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Jun 29, 2009
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Luckily for me, my PsN account's password was something stupid like ardvark, because i never cared enough to go back in and change it. So yea, it provides no bridges for hackers to get into my other accounts. I dunno, I've actually always been the kind of person who would've liked to have something like a personal id card, and card reader come with my console, and make it a usb that could work with my computer, and and something like a PsP. It'd cost a lot, but I like to have security... something about it makes me feel safe.
 

Braedan

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Sep 14, 2010
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Kair said:
It's a product of a failed world. If you allow the failure you must also allow its effects.

Bahahahaha you're so deep.

OT: I wouldn't mind having to log in to different things on my ps3. Course It would seem that typing with a controller sucks ass. But at least Sony lets you choose more than just "ABCD" keyboards and lets you choose QWERTY... unlike the Xbox (unless something has changed since the last time I logged on before it RROD'd).
 

RowdyRodimus

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Apr 24, 2010
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Why do I have a feeling the people who got into the system are reading these posts right now, laughing their asses off and saying "Thumb scanners? I can break that."?
 

ace_of_something

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Sep 19, 2008
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Not to nitpick or anything but, most of the guys doing strong arm robbery (that's threatening violence on those who don't give them money) are NOT the same people that are phishing for personal information. Hell most guys I catch for robbery don't even have a computer.
Two completely different classes of criminals.
 

RicoADF

Welcome back Commander
Jun 2, 2009
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geizr said:
I wouldn't mind a bit of inconvenience on login if it'll mean disasters like this are much less likely to happen. When I was playing World of Warcraft, I had the authenticator app on my iPhone tied to my account so that it was more difficult for hackers to keylog my login and steal my account. Something as simple as that would be perfectly acceptable to me as an extra layer of security.

However, from the sounds of this breech, this isn't a simple matter of hackers guessing a few weak password and logins from the front-end to steal people's information. This was a breech on the total backend administration of the entire system itself; basically, it sounds like the entire PSN got rooted. Even something like an authenticator is not going to help that kind of weakness in the system's security. Sony's going to need to either reconfigure their servers and software to better restrict administrative access to the system or throw away the current system entirely and replace it with something new and better. Honestly, I would advise the latter option, but that's just me going with a gut feeling on the matter.
From what their saying, the whole system is being rebuilt from the ground up (backend security wise), hence the long down time.
I dont get why people are so shocked, ANYTHING on the internet is hackable, even government systems. Its just a question of how easy and if someone is willing to spend the time (and risk) doing it. If your not willing to take the risk of this happening, dont do any purchasing online, dont have ANY details of yourself online, as its never 100% safe. Either accept it, or drop using the net for anything other than web surfing & gaming.
 

Kair

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Sep 14, 2008
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Braedan said:
Kair said:
It's a product of a failed world. If you allow the failure you must also allow its effects.

Bahahahaha you're so deep.

OT: I wouldn't mind having to log in to different things on my ps3. Course It would seem that typing with a controller sucks ass. But at least Sony lets you choose more than just "ABCD" keyboards and lets you choose QWERTY... unlike the Xbox (unless something has changed since the last time I logged on before it RROD'd).
There is a difference between art student pretense and real philosophy.
 

Braedan

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Sep 14, 2010
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Kair said:
Braedan said:
Kair said:
It's a product of a failed world. If you allow the failure you must also allow its effects.

Bahahahaha you're so deep.

OT: I wouldn't mind having to log in to different things on my ps3. Course It would seem that typing with a controller sucks ass. But at least Sony lets you choose more than just "ABCD" keyboards and lets you choose QWERTY... unlike the Xbox (unless something has changed since the last time I logged on before it RROD'd).
There is a difference between art student pretense and real philosophy.
Yes, but the world would continue without either of them.

RowdyRodimus said:
Why do I have a feeling the people who got into the system are reading these posts right now, laughing their asses off and saying "Thumb scanners? I can break that."?
Agreed. The only difference I see from passwords to scanners is file size. They hackers would only need to download pictures instead of text, and then the pictures would act the same as a password... though I do think that fingerprint scanners would be more convenient without being less secure, they would also be a lot more expensive.
 

Redd the Sock

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Apr 14, 2010
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Unless the system was broke because some moron at Sony used password for a password, this is a piece of good advice not relevnt to the PSN hack. Everything was taken so any redundant security was also taken, and any extra passcodes or metrics for fingerprint scanners or USB pass keys would have been in the same batch.

And sadly, between home and work I have to remember 20 alpha numberic passwords (office, computer, e-mail, bank accounts (multiple), and different company data files), not couintning more social things like here. It does feel like there has to be a better way, especialy when by boss has to call to reset his passwords every month or so because he forgot it.
 

Kair

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Sep 14, 2008
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Braedan said:
Kair said:
Braedan said:
Kair said:
It's a product of a failed world. If you allow the failure you must also allow its effects.

Bahahahaha you're so deep.

OT: I wouldn't mind having to log in to different things on my ps3. Course It would seem that typing with a controller sucks ass. But at least Sony lets you choose more than just "ABCD" keyboards and lets you choose QWERTY... unlike the Xbox (unless something has changed since the last time I logged on before it RROD'd).
There is a difference between art student pretense and real philosophy.
Yes, but the world would continue without either of them.
Perhaps, but in the most barbaric fashion.
 

mjc0961

YOU'RE a pie chart.
Nov 30, 2009
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blakfayt said:
Well apparently the hacker was an evil modder who had his PS3 modded to appear as a sony developer console, which gave him access to everything a sony developer would. Sounds to me like they trust their devs a bit too much.
If that it the case, I agree completely. Why the hell would Sony be giving developers access to my real name, real address, password, and possibly credit card info? They don't need any of that.

Also, once again I am glad I don't use my PSN password for any other account.

Braedan said:
But at least Sony lets you choose more than just "ABCD" keyboards and lets you choose QWERTY... unlike the Xbox (unless something has changed since the last time I logged on before it RROD'd).
360 has let you use a QWERTY keyboard for YEARS now. When was the last time you logged on?

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Community/xbox101/Account-Management

Click the video labeled "QWERTY" and they tell you how to do it.
 

Sartan0

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Apr 5, 2010
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I don't get it when folk use the same password for e-vite and their online banking.

That is just asking for trouble.