150°

Xbox.com Security Toughens Up Not Enough To Stop Hackers

AnalogHype:"Jason Coutee returns to demonstrate the changes Microsoft made since the Xbox.com security flaw was exposed and how its still not enough to stop hackers."

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analoghype.com
Intentions4499d ago

At least they did something to try stop it.

But at least I know that no one can hack my account. I bet you guys here can't even hack into it.

Prove me wrong.

Fishy Fingers4499d ago

Of course not, N4G is a site for fans of gaming, it's hardly a source of 'hackers' is it. Think about it.

Either way, play the numbers game, even if a few get hacked, it's highly unlikely to be you. Be smart with your details etc, you should be fine.

AtomicGerbil4499d ago

You seem a little over confident of a security system you have very little control of.

If Visa, Paypal and the Pentagon can get hacked, no security is 100% safe.

Yes I am aware this is likely all due to phishing scams, but don't think for one moment you could never get scammed.

Jdoki4499d ago

It's that sort of devout faith people put in company's who are primarily geared up to extract money from your wallet and maximising profit, that leads to complacency and ultimately getting ripped off.

saladthieves4499d ago (Edited 4499d ago )

If there's anything that I've learned from the Interwebs is that there is always a way around an obstacle. Build a security firewall and people will find ways to circumvent it. Take the SOPA thing for example.

These guys think that doing a little thing such as blocking DNS or banning certain IP addresses will do the trick. They aparently never heard of proxy servers.

Telling people that no one can hack your account is like saying that you've hidden the keys therefore no one can steal your car.

You and your Intentions have to get real.

Intentions4499d ago

Lol can't believe people took my comment seriously.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 4499d ago
marison4499d ago

You could use brute force to break CAPTCHA. Let alone a simple user and password security schem. If someone use this script on other sites like Google or PSN, they will get access eventually.

That's the motivation for Google 2-step verification:
http://support.google.com/a...

Jdoki4499d ago

To call this 'hacking' gives far too much credit, and diminishes the skills and talent real hackers have (not condoning hacking, but there are some seriously talented people out there).

MS had / have a minor flaw in their security set up - part of which is to cause less inconvenience to the end user (i.e. it doesn't lock the account after X number of failed attempts). Security will always be a balance between restricting the end user and potentially leaving a hole that malicious people will exploit.

marison4499d ago

Agreed. It's only a stupid way and ubiquituous to get account credentials.

Redempteur4499d ago (Edited 4499d ago )

Except that it is not a minor flaw. Any web designer will tell you that was a major flaw in their system. Nobody should be able to retry as they wish until they found the right solution.

Are you telling me it's alright that xbox.com was /is vulnerable to brute force attacks ?

marison4498d ago

They have limited the attempts requiring more time and using captcha.

There's a compromise you could treat to your users. If they do more, legitimate users will have a non desirable expericence.

iamnsuperman4499d ago

Would love to read this article except for the large SOPA black thing is kind of in the way so have to comment based on the title

Finally doing something about it. Taken quite a while

marison4499d ago

I have read it before anti-SOPA blackout. He used a Visual Basic Script to automatize brute force login attempts.

After MS changes to the login process, he have changed the delay to more seconds.

This brute force method, after the MS changes, will only get very poor created passwords and only will work if people know a possible username (e-mail) used for Xbox Live.

iamnsuperman4499d ago

Thanks a lot +bubs. So it isn't totally fixed. Microsoft need to get on this.

marison4499d ago

It's impossible to fix to any company is more correct.

Only thing will work is change the amount of time neccessary to brute force a password and use other methods to increase security. MS did that.

MorningStar4499d ago

Yep everything is hackable. I laugh when I hear people say that their system is unhackable. Sony said such things and now it's the most hacked games console. Its the most openly moddable console. Titanic said the same thing... that ended well. Another big online game Habbo Hotel. They said their game was unhackable until their whole system was compromised a few years back. While I think Xbox Lives service is very secure and people think hacking as a general term it isn't 100% as no system is.

Irish_Fella4499d ago

People are disregarding EA here as well as MS, thankfully I had no CC info on my XBL account, but I did have around 1600 MSP which the hacker used to buy Ultimate Team Gold Packs for FIFA 12 and he stole all the players, contracts, couch's,etc from my Ultimate Team also.

Although in saying that it was a pretty poor team and I never intended on using it, but I digress.

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290°

More Job Losses At Xbox, “There’s More To Come”: Paul Thurrott

Paul Thurrott in a recent episode commented on the on-going Microsoft fiasco hinting at more job losses and that "there's more to come".

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spieltimes.com
Sonic18812d ago (Edited 2d ago )

There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future . Xbox has to pay Microsoft back. It might take two decades to do that.

sagapo1d 21h ago (Edited 1d 21h ago )

I don’t understand what you’re saying. Xbox IS microsoft so there’s no “paying back “.
And MS gross profit in 2023 was over 140 billion dollars so forget your 2 decades.

Unless you mean the money MS invested in Xbox (acquisitions included) and the time it will take for xbox as a brand to gain that money back on it’s own, then yeah, that could take a while.

romulus231d 14h ago

The better term to use might be return on investment, xbox is simply a division of Microsoft one that MS can easily do away with if profit margins are not met. So in that regard he's right, if xbox isn't showing the expected return on investment the higher ups are expecting than it's unlikely Microsoft will acquire any other studios any time soon, especially if they are spending billions buying developers just to shut them down in the end.

MrBaskerville1d 7h ago (Edited 1d 7h ago )

Xbox is a division that they discussed shutting down but doubled down on after Gamepass was pitched.

It needs to make money at some point. Big money.

KwietStorm_BLM1d 7h ago

So you do understand it or..?

rokos1d 5h ago

According to Statista the net income of Microsoft is about $72.4 billion dollars which is a bit lower than last year profit. That is almost as much as Activision's acquisition but I assume that would be a one off since it costs so much plus I see how their focus has been shifted to AI, thus any major future investments will probably be in that area.

Markusb331d 4h ago

i think you are really missing the point

VariantAEC19h ago

@romulus23
That is not why MS buys studios. They might continue to buy because it's about taking that sweet sweet IP out of the corporate husks of their acquisitions.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 19h ago
SonyStyled1d 20h ago

“There won't be no more acquiring game publishers from Microsoft in the future”

No bro, there do be is for Microsoft not acquiring for what is now if not what it be is 😂

1d 18h ago Replies(2)
ChasterMies1d 8h ago

Xbox isn’t a separate company from Microsoft. It’s all Microsoft.

Abear211d 3h ago (Edited 1d 2h ago )

Let’s be real, this is the media spinning all the acquisitions and liquidations of said developers and spinning it to make M$ the villain.

This was bound to happen, a bigger slice of pie and cut costs, when the games come they stand to make more and that’s their agenda—it was the writing on the wall when the sales went through and legally all those who approved the sale and mergers knew this would happen.

Snowflakes need to realize business is ugly and you can cry all you want but this is how capitalism works. And it works.

That said, M$ needs to steer the narrative and grab hold of all this, make their plans known, hype the hell out of all those dead IP’s they plan to revive, and be honest about the timeline. This is likely to involve mobile and IP on other consoles, and most people realize that.

The problem is this company is incapable of being transparent and seems to often want to dissuade and confuse is customer base. The lack of E3 has hurt Microsoft and I don’t think they know how to properly or effectively market their brand anymore.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 19h ago
jwillj2k42d ago

There really needs to be a class action lawsuit here. You buy these companies just to put people out of jobs. And it’s not like something happened to derail their plans this WAS the plan. Microsoft has no business in this space at all.

franwex1d 23h ago (Edited 1d 23h ago )

Microsoft has been doing this for years. They simply want the IPs. Look at Nokia. Look at Skype. This time it simply expanded to games. Gaming is not as important to Microsoft’s executives as it was to the founders too. Bill Gates was willing to sell the og Xbox at a loss. Steve Balmer approved the red ring of death fiasco. This CEO isn’t really a gamer.

-Foxtrot1d 23h ago

Maybe it's time though to put a stop to it and use a big giant like Microsoft as a huge example to the rest of these big companies.

There has to be a line drawn somewhere.

People like the FTC and the like went against Microsoft yet their Actvision deal was still allowed to go through yet look what's happened...it's not even Acitivisions studios aswell, it's Bethesdas.

VariantAEC19h ago

Years?

Try several decades, and in the gaming space 2.3 decades.

Jon615861d 3h ago

You do realize this happens in ALL industries? Or are you just saying this because it is Microsoft? In any case I feel for those that are being let go but the trch industry is suffering right now.

jwillj2k423h ago(Edited 23h ago)

This absolutely does NOT happen all the time. Let me know the last time 1 company with a terrible product track record spent 100 billion onto acquire MULTIPLE successful companies in under a year only to shut them down and stop making their products regardless of how successful they were. Not merge them, completely shut them down.

And you can’t use Microsoft in your example.

Notellin23h ago(Edited 23h ago)

Class action lawsuit? The law is on their side and protects them at all costs. There are no rules to protect the people at the bottom.

jwillj2k423h ago

Not true when it comes to mass layoff do your research.

RNTody1d 23h ago

Ninja Theory, Perfect Dark, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Wolfenstein 3, Dishonored, Prey, Doom, Quake... something tells me that bad things are going to happen to these entities under Microsoft.

MrDead1d 13h ago

ID software, the makers of Doom and Wolfenstein that have been with us since 1991 could be gone and MS will keep the IPs.

I hope some of these studios can buy their freedom from MS otherwise this is going to be even more devastating for the industry and gamers.

Yui_Suzumiya1d 10h ago (Edited 1d 10h ago )

That's exactly what I'm worried about. I've been a fan of id since Wolfenstein 3D and I'm honestly afraid.

lodossrage1d 6h ago

Toys for Bob saw the writing on the wall and bought themselves out.

Wouldn't be the first time a company did that under MS either. Bungie and Twisted Pixel did the same. Considering what just happened, I can see some other devs trying to buy themselves out too.

anast1d 22h ago

Good thing the bosses of all those small studios made their money.

glenn19791d 22h ago

they cant do it right now they will get burned

XiNatsuDragnel1d 14h ago

Phil and his team need to be gone

lodossrage1d 6h ago (Edited 1d 6h ago )

Won't make a difference.

The whole structure needs to be overhauled. Anyone that replaces Phil will be no different than him, Mattrick, or anyone else.

Until the company changes how they go about business, nothing will change

glenn19791d 3h ago

I just don't have any idea what they would do , they have done sooo much damage on their xbox brand, they have a show at July or June I think, but will it even matter even they show amazing games, idkn

lodossrage1d 6h ago

True,

But they may as well get it over with. Whether it happens now or later, the burning is going to hit the same.

Reality is the ONE move that can alleviate a lot of this is the one move they can't make. Remove day 1 from gamepass.

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90°

Microsoft Opening Xbox Mobile Game Store in July

The Xbox brand is expanding, as an Xbox mobile game store is opening this coming July where Microsoft will brings its "first-party portfolio."

Jin_Sakai3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

“Bond adds that they will start on the web”

This will go nowhere.

Nice knowing you Xbox. This is what happens when the house never gets cleaned.

MrDead3d ago

The only this MS is expanding is the amount of feculence it sprays on everyone who just want to enjoy gaming and make games.

The best thing MS can do for the gaming industry is leave and never return.

XiNatsuDragnel3d ago

Good luck with this even it might not succeed.

Show all comments (7)
210°

Microsoft once tried to nab LittleBigPlanet from Sony after a few drinks

It turns out that many moons ago, Microsoft once had its eye on the Sony published LittleBigPlanet series.

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eurogamer.net
XiNatsuDragnel4d ago

Microsoft had a good idea but fumbled it again.

Cacabunga3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Project Spark idea was decent but they quickly gave up ..
LBP was wonderful

ApocalypseShadow3d ago

Microsoft in a nutshell. Always tried to poach Sony employees, games, 3rd party games and devices like the depth camera that was turned into Kinect but was running on PS2 before Xbox 360. Wouldn't be surprised they wanted LBP. Just like they worked behind the scenes pushing the MLB to bring Sony's baseball game to Xbox instead of making their own.
https://www.playstationlife...

They didn't spend years trying to develop their own baseball game. They wanted Sony's game.

They're scum.

Zachmo1823d ago

Microsoft didn't force MLB on Xbox. MLB gave Sony 2 options either go multiplat or risk losing the license.

Rynxie2d ago

And why do you think MLB said that? I believe Ms approached MLB.

ApocalypseShadow2d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Totally ridiculous comment.

The only exclusivity Sony had was to their own creation of The Show. Microsoft could have paid the MLB for the license just like Sony did and made their own baseball game.

Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox. They're worth 3 TRILLION dollars. You think that's not enough money to make their own baseball game? Don't be delusional.

Microsoft spun it like they always do and told the media that they had to trust Sony with their hardware. After they put Sony in that position of not having a choice. Either go multiplatform or stop making one of their successful games. That's a no win scenario.

And what did Microsoft do? They didn't try to sell the game to the Xbox community. They put it on game pass to hurt Sony. Pushing the idea of why buy games that are $70 when you can play them in their cheap service for $10. It was a dirty tactic.

You fell for the Kool aid drink Microsoft served you instead of spitting it out. Hope it tasted good because you were fooled by Phil and the gang.

2d ago
Hereandthere2d ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Bond revealed that MLB The Show “always came up” in conversations between Microsoft and the Major League Baseball organization. “We always said, ‘We love this game. It would be a huge opportunity to bring it to Xbox.'” she recalled. However, when Microsoft’s efforts materialized, it put the company in an awkward situation where it had to send in pre-release consoles to a rival company.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
Notellin2d ago

"Microsoft instead, groomed MLB for years in trying to poach Sony's game and bring it to Xbox."

Take a nap, conspiracies are rotting your brain.

2d ago
Hereandthere2d ago

Xbox executive Sara Bond has told Axios that Microsoft spent a number of years trying to get MLB The Show onto Xbox consoles. And when it finally succeeded in breaking off PlayStation’s long-held exclusivity, the company had to “trust” Sony with pre-release Xbox Series X/S consoles.

ApocalypseShadow1d 15h ago

Lying to yourself is unbecoming.

Article link tells you all you need to know in Sarah Bond's own words.

Hereandthere2d ago

They were too cheap/inept/lazy to develop their own mlb game, so they port begged for years and bribed the mlb to make the show multiplatform. Like i said many times, xbox brought nothing to the table their 24 years, ZERO.

ApocalypseShadow1d 15h ago

At least you and others get it. Note drank the Kool aid and asked for seconds thinking it was refreshing.

Most don't even know how it all played out but it's there in black and white for all to see. Microsoft brought it up for years until the MLB forced Sony's hand. It was a win win for Microsoft. Kill one reason to buy a PlayStation or kill the game by dropping it in a cheap service to kill Sony's sales numbers on PlayStation.

OtterX3d ago

"However, Healey said Media Molecule wouldn't have felt right doing that, adding it would have been "morally corrupt"."

Major kudos to Media Molecule for being an upright studio with principles.

Cockney1d 10h ago

They chose well, Sony gave them the backing to pursue their dreams with no restrictions even tho their games especially dreams have very niche appeal. Media molecule and Sony deserve respect for this in an age of risk averse publishing.

RNTody3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Great, more stories like this please. Show the last of the zombies holding the line what we've been saying for years: Microsoft is anti competition, anti industry and has no interest in making games at all.

But hey, at least there's an Xbox Games Showcase to look forward to, right?

Inverno3d ago

Well considering SONY just killed the series, LBP would've been dead by now either way. Though MM probably wouldn't exist by now either, so I'm glad they stayed with SONY, hopefully they don't get shut down any time soon or ever honestly.

Inverno3d ago

They shut down the servers, that's millions of user created levels gone. That and dead are pretty much the same, it's also been years since 3 and they cancelled HUB soooo.

2d ago
fsfsxii2d ago

They shutdown the servers because no one was playing, no one in the community cared about the user created levels so why keep them up? Wtf you guys would never succeed in running a business.

Inverno2d ago

Yea dood no one was playing so they shut off the servers. Cause people with enough common sense can't just Google why they were actually shut of, right?

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