For many, 2011 proved that the digital age is far from safe, and that our rights to privacy are practically null and void in a world where Facebook, Google and mobile phone carriers can record and store every action we make through their services. Still, we have come to expect the most important information we have, that of our bank details, is stored in a metaphorical vault, hidden away from the prying fingers of new-age thieves. But there is always a way in, as the intrusions and attacks throughout 2011 have shown.

Like V for Vendetta so brilliantly showed in its closing chapter, those behind the masks are people just like you and I, and in the case of hackers and gamers this is doubly true. In the same way gamers will search for glitches to exploit, hackers will find a way to break code, and usually for the same reason: to prove that they have beaten the system. It’s almost safe to assume this sense of achievement is the main reward, otherwise the 2011 PSN crisis may have ended with a global recession rather than a terrifying wake-up call.


The men behind the curtain

Anonymous, the hacking group claiming responsibility for the PSN attack, believed they were playing the role of Robin Hood in the modern world, fighting against the injustices of large corporations – but seemingly without any thought as to the cost. The attacks have since seen Sony, EA and Microsoft add ‘no suing’ clauses in their Terms of Service agreements, thus tightening the noose around consumers rather than alleviating it, as was the purpose and motivation behind Anonymous’ efforts.


The attack by Anonymous spurred the actions of a splinter group calling themselves ‘Lulzsec’ who embarked on ’50 days of lulz’. These ‘lulz’ resulted in attacks on Eve Online, Minecraft, The Escapist, Bethesda, BioWare and Nintendo USA. Their shenanigans, which they claimed were ultimately for the thrill of chaos, ended with a Twitter announcement that reeked of Fight Club-style moral relativism.


It’s hard to imagine that any person or group of people not only has the ability to do this, but has the want to do this. In some ways, knowing that this was a matter of fun for some people made it that much more dangerous: it’s like have a 20-storey-tall toddler, only with far more shit to clean up afterwards.


No-one is safe

No system was left untouched this year, and while some Xbox 360 fans were almost rejoicing when the PSN network got hacked (Penny Arcade doing a particularly clever strip), Xbox Live hasn’t been without its share of threats. Even so, whether or not we pay for a service should not be an indicator of how safe our information is – once you agree to any Terms of Service agreement or online transaction, that street must go two ways. You promise to make good on payments and not abuse their IP, and they agree to keep you safe from those you cannot possibly defend yourself against.


The attack on the PSN showcased the worse case scenario on all fronts. Firstly, the PSN went down with little to no reason as to why, Sony referring to it as ‘maintenance’, before going on to explain that the shut-down was due to a malicious attack. It was then revealed that Sony had knowledge of an intrusion almost one week before they said that the PSN was down for maintenance.


It was admitted that credit card information may have been stolen and that Sony knew their security systems were flawed. The first lawsuit was filed, the Welcome Back package was announced (and subsequently complained about), and the PSN was finally back online after a month, just in time for Sony’s 2011 E3 conference.


Saying this was handled poorly was, for many, an understatement. The breach affected something far more than just security: it nearly killed all consumer confidence.


Since then, while we have seen companies implement increasingly restrictive DRM and ‘no sue’ clauses, we’ve also seen companies handle attacks on their servers with far more competence. Sony seemed to have learned its lesson, recruiting Philip Reitinger, previously Director of the U.S. National Cyber Security Center, to fill the newly made position of Chief Information Security Officer. When the PSN and SOE networks were compromised once again, Reitenger made an announcement immediately, with the full scope of the attack outlined, how they planned to proceed with the given information, and a promise that updates would be provided as the situation continued.


Gabe Newell reacted as competently and quickly when Steam was hacked, and his personal involvement and touch were a comfort. Interestingly enough, Newell is currently the one of the very few in the industry that thinks DRM is not the answer, preaching better service will always triumph over restrictions.


How do we protect ourselves?

The answer to how we can protect ourselves is simply that we can’t, any more than we can protect ourselves against muggings – rather, we have to be smart about what we do. Always keep an eye on your account, change your password every couple of months, and if it’ll make you feel safer you can always buy Xbox Live and PSN cards from relevant retailers.


2011 has been a wake-up call for all of us, corporation and consumer alike. From these experiences, we must learn and adapt… just like the hackers inevitably will.

Posted: Dec 19, 2011 9:37 am

Source: http://beefjack.com/news/2011-the-year-gaming-got-hacked/