4 ms·

When I read stuff like that, I just wonder what exactly the "hacked" company is trying to achieve, or if they have any idea themselves. On one hand, you have a

by guylhem 14y ago

When I read stuff like that, I just wonder what exactly the "hacked" company is trying to achieve, or if they have any idea themselves. On one hand, you have a person who seems to genuinely care about the security of your company (since he gave you details), who had both the chance and the opportunity to use the access to leak stuff that could have been quite damaging to the company - yet didn't, and willfully meets the companies representatives and corporate enquirer. On the other hand, you have a company who seems to have real problem with its security procedures, an improving but frail image as game platform (not so many dead xbox memes at the moment), and a way to manage problems like an elephant in a porcelain shop. What exactly did anyone in his right mind hoped such a raid would do??? Let's see, for the potential "benefit" effects of frightening other hackers, it further damaged microsoft reputation and it will turn a cooperative hacker group into a revenge-seeking foe. What did they got??? In the day and age of cloud storage, what they took during the raid was at best zeroed harddrives previously containing a copy of the information they wanted that could now be anywhere - and they pissed off the guy who put that information out of they reach. Strategically, all I see just looks like a terrible move. Now think for a second - what if the guy puts everything he downloaded (sourcecode, etc) in a torrent, or pass the pdfs they were so willing to protect on wikileaks? What if he start using his knowledge to create not "giant hacks", but small hacks that could masquerade as bugs ? (say randomly turn off live access, hijack random xbox live accounts, etc) What if he commits suicide ? After all, he said he lost everything! Seriously all this is at best a PR nightmare, and at worst the first step into a Sony PSN style catastrophy. Some people should be fired, they forgot the basic axiom : DO NOT TAUNT THOSE WHO CAN DAMAGE YOU. It will be fun watching anonymous attack xbox live in the following days, then the various bad things that will happen - no, not fun, sad. What will happen is so evident it's a tragedy. Critics are easy, so I'll offer my 5 cents suggestion too. The right move in this case? Give the hackers a psychological assessment, a background check, then a big fat check to replace the bozos who were in charge of your security and failed. Give them more to loose- money, their dream job, reputation. Just don't turn them into enemies who have nothing to lose.

recoiledsnake 14y ago
I think he crossed the line somewhat when he put up the dev kit on eBay. Even then I don't think Microsoft was the one that reported him: >"Microsoft did not initiate this FBI investigation with this individual, as has been asserted in some of the articles in the media," a Microsoft spokesperson told me. I agree with your last line though. He should be given a punishment like just community service.
- veb 14y ago
  He probably will be, it's Australia -- not America.
  - damian2000 14y ago
    Agreed, I may be wrong but I can't remember anyone being sent to prison in Western Australia for hacking.
mhurron 14y ago
> What exactly did anyone in his right mind hoped such a raid would achieve? Made people think the company in question was doing what it needed to do to protect its users. The group of people that would see that move as a negative is small. Gamers, by and large are not technically savvy people. They sat and worried about their characters being broken into and people cheating. Basically there is no action too drastic to protect them. The general public is basically the same. A 'hacker' did something, the company targeted brought the hammer down on him. All is well with the world. Raid the hacker and nothing comes to light from what he did? The company protected its users. Raid and the material is released? This is why we have to be harder and harder on them until they get the message this won't be tolerated. Commits suicide? It just shows how unstable these people are.
- __david__ 14y ago
  > Made people think the company in question was doing what it needed to do to protect its users. So raiding hacker's houses is the IP equivalent of the TSA? "Look at us, we're doing something!"
bonzoesc 14y ago
> Now think for a second - what if the guy puts everything he downloaded (sourcecode, etc) in a torrent, or pass the pdfs they were so willing to protect on wikileaks? What if he start using his knowledge to create not "giant hacks", but small hacks that could masquerade as bugs ? (say randomly turn off live access, hijack random xbox live accounts, etc) What if he clandestinely does this after he appeared to "genuinely care about the security of your company?" What if he does this after failing the background check or turning down the job? > Some people should be fired, they forgot the basic axiom : > DO NOT TAUNT THOSE WHO CAN DAMAGE YOU. I don't think you can fire somebody from illegal computer intrusion. Microsoft and Epic have probably done some expensive security audits, while the suspected hacker is whining to Kotaku about how law enforcement has searched and seized all his stuff.
majormajor 14y ago
"DO NOT TAUNT THOSE WHO CAN DAMAGE YOU" Wouldn't that also apply to revenge-seeking hackers who might end up finding themselves in jail or being chased down? I.e., "might makes right" doesn't last very long as a basis for a good society.
runn1ng 14y ago
Well, we also don't know the whole story. Maybe he actually physically stole something/used someone else credit card/etc. and we are taking only his word that he didn't.
chrischen 14y ago
Maybe they're trying to drive the best hcakers to China, where they can hack the West without repercussions.
jstevens85 14y ago
> who had both the chance and the opportunity to use the access to leak stuff that could have been quite damaging to the company - yet didn't According to the article, he'd leaked "troves" of development documents to the writer of the article. It appears he may be the source, or one of the sources, behind the unprecedented amount of detail that has been leaked ahead of the console announcements. From the article: > Dylan wanted to know about next-gen systems, and somehow he learned plenty. He got development documentation for the next PlayStation and Xbox. Long before I'd sized him up as a hacker, he'd sent me troves of PDFs and white papers describing the functionality of both the code-named Orbis and Durango. The documentation was loaded with programming code—and with details.

by guylhem 14y ago

recoiledsnake 14y ago

I think he crossed the line somewhat when he put up the dev kit on eBay. Even then I don't think Microsoft was the one that reported him: >"Microsoft did not initiate this FBI investigation with this individual, as has been asserted in some of the articles in the media," a Microsoft spokesperson told me. I agree with your last line though. He should be given a punishment like just community service.

veb 14y ago
He probably will be, it's Australia -- not America.
- damian2000 14y ago
  Agreed, I may be wrong but I can't remember anyone being sent to prison in Western Australia for hacking.

mhurron 14y ago

> What exactly did anyone in his right mind hoped such a raid would achieve? Made people think the company in question was doing what it needed to do to protect its users. The group of people that would see that move as a negative is small. Gamers, by and large are not technically savvy people. They sat and worried about their characters being broken into and people cheating. Basically there is no action too drastic to protect them. The general public is basically the same. A 'hacker' did something, the company targeted brought the hammer down on him. All is well with the world. Raid the hacker and nothing comes to light from what he did? The company protected its users. Raid and the material is released? This is why we have to be harder and harder on them until they get the message this won't be tolerated. Commits suicide? It just shows how unstable these people are.

__david__ 14y ago
> Made people think the company in question was doing what it needed to do to protect its users. So raiding hacker's houses is the IP equivalent of the TSA? "Look at us, we're doing something!"

bonzoesc 14y ago

> Now think for a second - what if the guy puts everything he downloaded (sourcecode, etc) in a torrent, or pass the pdfs they were so willing to protect on wikileaks? What if he start using his knowledge to create not "giant hacks", but small hacks that could masquerade as bugs ? (say randomly turn off live access, hijack random xbox live accounts, etc) What if he clandestinely does this after he appeared to "genuinely care about the security of your company?" What if he does this after failing the background check or turning down the job? > Some people should be fired, they forgot the basic axiom : > DO NOT TAUNT THOSE WHO CAN DAMAGE YOU. I don't think you can fire somebody from illegal computer intrusion. Microsoft and Epic have probably done some expensive security audits, while the suspected hacker is whining to Kotaku about how law enforcement has searched and seized all his stuff.

majormajor 14y ago

"DO NOT TAUNT THOSE WHO CAN DAMAGE YOU" Wouldn't that also apply to revenge-seeking hackers who might end up finding themselves in jail or being chased down? I.e., "might makes right" doesn't last very long as a basis for a good society.

runn1ng 14y ago

Well, we also don't know the whole story. Maybe he actually physically stole something/used someone else credit card/etc. and we are taking only his word that he didn't.

chrischen 14y ago

Maybe they're trying to drive the best hcakers to China, where they can hack the West without repercussions.

jstevens85 14y ago

> who had both the chance and the opportunity to use the access to leak stuff that could have been quite damaging to the company - yet didn't According to the article, he'd leaked "troves" of development documents to the writer of the article. It appears he may be the source, or one of the sources, behind the unprecedented amount of detail that has been leaked ahead of the console announcements. From the article: > Dylan wanted to know about next-gen systems, and somehow he learned plenty. He got development documentation for the next PlayStation and Xbox. Long before I'd sized him up as a hacker, he'd sent me troves of PDFs and white papers describing the functionality of both the code-named Orbis and Durango. The documentation was loaded with programming code—and with details.