PSN Attack Shows New Focus for Hackers

GonzoGamer

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Apr 9, 2008
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Sartan0 said:
I don't get it when folk use the same password for e-vite and their online banking.

That is just asking for trouble.
Yea.
I use a completely different set of passwords for entertainment, business, and banking.
It's not that hard.
 

The Random One

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May 29, 2008
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You know, I was talking about this with my friend (who has a PS3 and thus was far more inconvenienced by it than I) and I said this exact thing. I'm honestly appaled at how easy it is to buy stuff in Xbox Live, and I assume PS3 to be the same. I don't want online purchases to be easy, I want them to be safe, especially since it's an instant charge to my credit card.
 

Wicky_42

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Sep 15, 2008
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Logan Westbrook said:
David Emm:"The weakest link is always the individual,"

...

While Sony has only said that the hackers might have obtained gamer's credit card details, it has confirmed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109568-Sony-Admits-Private-PSN-Info-Has-Been-Stolen-All-Of-It] that a lot of personal information has been compromised, and this could potentially put a lot of other accounts at risk as well.
Anybody else INSTANTLY see a complete disparity with what expert Mr Emm says and what the actuality of the situation is? We're seeing an increase in attacks aimed specifically at hubs of personal information, not individual users, completely circumventing ANY sort of personal security measures you throw up against clients of these centrally-organised services.

Fucking HUGE lol - 'all we need is more security for people logging in' - yeah, because that would have made ANY difference here XD

Gaiseric said:
Well...shit...
Can I get some kind of USB thumb scanner?
:/
That would be a great idea... if it wasn't for the issue I mentioned above ;) Even if you start using the full suite of biometric verification - DNA, eye scan, fingerprint, voice authentication - NONE of that helps if the idiots you're logging in to have their system wide open.

In fact, the more biometric protection you have the MORE vulnerable you get, because in the event that an event like this happens again, and "all your personal information gets compromised" then some hacker somewhere will have their hands on your biometric info. It's like a personal password THAT YOU CAN'T CHANGE, locked into digital format that, once decrypted, would make identity theft even more comprehensive.

Just imagine the scenario where, having had all your biometric ID stolen because, oh I don't know, some idiot company trusted consoles tagged as 'Dev units' completely, the only way you can prove you are who you say you are is to turn up in person because any other method of biometric identification can be spoofed as 'they' have all of your digitised info.

Honestly, it scares me when the government starts talking about passports with embedded biometric info, or the same with ID cards, because I don't trust the government to look after that sort of info - heck, they have a track record of leaving data drives and computers filled with census info ("confidential for 100 years!") and social security stuff literally lying on trains. To then embody arguably even more important information into portable formats that are remote access systems is just retarded - that would allow someone with a reader in their bag to simply walk through an airport and lift the identities of everyone there, with a little bit of decryption work.

Bah, I honestly don't think I'm being too paranoid there, but I think I've kinda wandered off topic at some point in this rant...
 

Wicky_42

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Redd the Sock said:
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.
Yay, someone else sees the real issue here, and isn't just way-laid by the discussion about USERS needing more security! This crisis wasn't caused by a client setting their password to '1234', it was caused (most likely) by Sony's security practice, and no amount of security layers between Sony and their clients would have helped.

As you pointed out (and I did in my long-ass rant above), the more redundant info, especially biometric info, that a company holds, the more vulnerable you actually are to having that information compromised - something ESPECIALLY serious in the case of biometric info as it's not like you can just get new eyes or fingers.
 

vxicepickxv

Slayer of Bothan Spies
Sep 28, 2008
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Well, that's the second time in two months I've gotten details about my PII(Personal Identifiable Information) being removed from proper custody. This time it turns out to be part of a larger pool of victims, and more likely to be used elsewhere.
 

Gaiseric

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Sep 21, 2008
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Wicky_42 said:
Logan Westbrook said:
David Emm:"The weakest link is always the individual,"

...

While Sony has only said that the hackers might have obtained gamer's credit card details, it has confirmed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109568-Sony-Admits-Private-PSN-Info-Has-Been-Stolen-All-Of-It] that a lot of personal information has been compromised, and this could potentially put a lot of other accounts at risk as well.
Anybody else INSTANTLY see a complete disparity with what expert Mr Emm says and what the actuality of the situation is? We're seeing an increase in attacks aimed specifically at hubs of personal information, not individual users, completely circumventing ANY sort of personal security measures you throw up against clients of these centrally-organised services.

Fucking HUGE lol - 'all we need is more security for people logging in' - yeah, because that would have made ANY difference here XD

Gaiseric said:
Well...shit...
Can I get some kind of USB thumb scanner?
:/
That would be a great idea... if it wasn't for the issue I mentioned above ;) Even if you start using the full suite of biometric verification - DNA, eye scan, fingerprint, voice authentication - NONE of that helps if the idiots you're logging in to have their system wide open.

In fact, the more biometric protection you have the MORE vulnerable you get, because in the event that an event like this happens again, and "all your personal information gets compromised" then some hacker somewhere will have their hands on your biometric info. It's like a personal password THAT YOU CAN'T CHANGE, locked into digital format that, once decrypted, would make identity theft even more comprehensive.

Just imagine the scenario where, having had all your biometric ID stolen because, oh I don't know, some idiot company trusted consoles tagged as 'Dev units' completely, the only way you can prove you are who you say you are is to turn up in person because any other method of biometric identification can be spoofed as 'they' have all of your digitised info.

Honestly, it scares me when the government starts talking about passports with embedded biometric info, or the same with ID cards, because I don't trust the government to look after that sort of info - heck, they have a track record of leaving data drives and computers filled with census info ("confidential for 100 years!") and social security stuff literally lying on trains. To then embody arguably even more important information into portable formats that are remote access systems is just retarded - that would allow someone with a reader in their bag to simply walk through an airport and lift the identities of everyone there, with a little bit of decryption work.

Bah, I honestly don't think I'm being too paranoid there, but I think I've kinda wandered off topic at some point in this rant...
Then I'll say it again, "Well shit"
 

Radelaide

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May 15, 2008
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Gaiseric said:
Well...shit...
Can I get some kind of USB thumb scanner?
:/
What if someone tries to ... hack off your thumb?
(Oh, heavens above I'm going to Pun Hell for that one)
 

Gaiseric

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Sep 21, 2008
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Radelaide said:
Gaiseric said:
Well...shit...
Can I get some kind of USB thumb scanner?
:/
What if someone tries to ... hack off your thumb?
(Oh, heavens above I'm going to Pun Hell for that one)
I'll eat my own thumb.
And theirs.
Nom.
Nom.
Nom.