Security is Job 1, err, 2...OK, 37 at Game Pubs

[ECM]

Here we go again:

The personal details of thousands of people have been stolen after hackers targeted British games developer Codemasters.

The firm described the data theft as "significant" saying names, addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth were all taken on 3 June.

However, it said that payment details were not compromised.

The latest security breach comes in the midst of a spate of hacker attacks, including several against Sony.

Codemasters said it took the compromised website offline as "as soon as the intrusion was detected".

Oh, well, at least this will force the thieves to go through the trouble of applying for credit cards in your name, rather than just going shopping immediately, *weary sigh*.

I think that hackers have figured out that game pubs aren't exactly running their operations on the latest in network security, or that they're even really trying.

[Justin]

This... is... uh.... really bad news.

*cheers in joy as the prospect of my future job security is further solidified.

Sarcasm aside, this is never good news. I really hope that over time we, as a society, start taking more personal responsibility for what information we share.

I've yanked all of my credit cards from online accounts.

[elchevalier]

What's up with all these recent attacks then? What's the "agenda" behind this?

[ECM]

I think the "agenda" is this: hackers have realized that game publishers, in particular, appear to have phenomenally terrible security, so they're just hammering against those paper thin walls to see what breaks. Basically, after Sony got raped by hackers, they probably surmised that if a behemoth the size of Sony can be brought down *thirteen* times, then the smaller companies (which is pretty much everyone else) should be easy pickings.

[Justin]

Yeah, pretty much.

Call me crazy, but I'd be okay with game companies sending me a bill for all of the titles I download. Taking that financial barrier out of the process of purchasing a game would probably help sales in certain areas.

I can see the look on the lady's face at the bank now.

[ECM]

Lady at bank? I can see your *wife's* face if she was ever presented w/ a day/week/month (and God help you) year's-worth of game purchases.

[Justin]

Oh no, I have leverage now. I get weekly emails with subject lines like "iTunes app purchases" and they are filled with all sorts of touch-in-fun type games.

She paid money for Where's Waldo!

[ECM]

Today Bethesda was hacked using techniques that hackers developed in the Dark Ages of computer science...

[feilong80]

Yeah Bsoft getting hacked made me extra sad. For reasons that you'll know if you know me well enough.

[ECM]

Yeah, and it makes ECM¹ extra mad!

¹ This use of the third-person brought to you by National Kick LeBron James In the Nuts Day

[ECM]

The SEGA story hit Drudge, so now it's everywhere (and then some).

On the upside, unlike certain other companies, SEGA seems to have actually notified folks in a timely manner but, again, why are these companies running security that is so primitive that using techniques honed when Charles Babbage proposed his "differential engine"¹ (in the 19th century) actually yields 'good' results??

¹ Which is an awesome, Steampunky, way of saying "computer".