Hackers target online consoles
Hackers and their malicious code-cracking antics have run riot on PCs for years, but experts predict videogames consoles and online games will come under increasing fire this year.
Computer security experts say that hackers may divert their efforts to attacking gamers, targeting payment systems and hijacking accounts.
"I haven't seen any malicious code that is specifically designed to run on a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox but I would expect it is not very far away," said, security analyst for Australia's Computer Emergency Response Team, MacLeonard Starkey, noting the increased integration of online connectivity in today's games consoles.
These predictions come after Xbox Live
users complained of hijacked accounts, after Microsoft admitted call
centres had been duped into revealing critical details to unauthorised
callers, according to theage.com.
Security software maker CA 1's Stefana Muller spoke of the hacker's
motivation for cracking their new targets: "I think it's going to be an
'I did it' kind of target, 'I got to exploit this gaming console'. It's
obvious that once a new thing comes out, if it's cool, it will be
exploited."
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Mike Jackson
April 5, 2007
Source: CVG