Why You Should be Grateful For The PSN Attack
We are still waiting for the Playstation Network to return and Sony tells us that there is no exact date when the service will be restored. Be upset, but be also grateful that this attack was as successful as it was.
No, I am not sarcastic. And I am not referring to (sensible) advice that you might be spending way too much playing video games online while you could enjoy family activities or working out. Even Sony should be grateful, as silly as it sounds, as well as the entire IT industry. And no, I am not kidding.
The simple fact is that the PSN hack was a shot across the bow and not as damaging as it could have been, even f it may cost Sony billions of dollars in repairs, lost revenues and reputation.
Realistically, the damage extends much further: An entire industry that is hoping you will ditch your local software for a cloud service is afraid that you may now think twice about subscribing to their products. The short term damage may be much higher than the damage we are seeing on the surface at this time. Sony's little welcome present is laughable in the grand scheme and is, despite its anticipated cost of well more than $1 billion, almost negligible, if we consider the short term damage to an entire industry of hopeful cloud service providers.
However, here is the upside. I am guessing here, but I suspect that the motivation for the attack was not to damage the interests of Sony's 70 million or so customers. There is no evidence so far that credit card data has been sold and credit card fraud has, in fact, happened. It appears to me that the real intent was to embarrass Sony. On a deeper level, while I do not justify the attack, Sony is to blame as the hack exploited a known, but unpatched flaw on Sony's servers. This fact alone is a message that should be taken seriously across the industry. Cloud computing is not just about features. It is foremost about security. If you jeopardize the security of data that has been entrusted to you, cloud computing can cause harm that by far exceeds any other monetary criminal activity we have known so far.
Attacks such as the Sony PSN hack rely on perfect timing. If any damage to those 70 million users was intended, it would have happened already. If you are affected by the hack, you should have taken reasonable measures such as replacing your credit card already, which potentially makes the loot, at least in this respect, almost worthless. What Sony should have learned is that this hugely successful attack could have been a broadside shot that in fact was intended to cash in. Instead, this attack happened just about at the right time to remind all of us to be aware of our personal data, how we provide it and to whom we provide it. It seems as if the overall software-as-a-service and general cloud computing party has been blurred by enthusiasm, visions and ideas, while the basic requirements such as security were pushed into the background.
Imagine yourself 5 years out from now. If the industry has its way, you may be writing your documents with Google Docs or Office 365. You may be collaborating via one of these services. Your phone calls and voicemails are stored in the cloud. Your email is closely tied to all your communication. Much of your personal life, including credit card information and smartgrid utility usage data will be in the cloud. Today we heard that Google intends to store your entertainment data in the cloud, control your home via the cloud and you may have access to the general features of your car via the cloud. Imagine a successful attack into millions of such accounts, an attack that exposes the entire hard drive of your digital life and is targeted to capitalize on your data. If Sony's attack reminds us how important security is in such services and if it helps promote the development of much more secure cloud infrastructures, then we should be grateful that Sony's PSN was hacked.
Of course, this hack has the downside that many of us may now rethink our willingness to provide very personal data to companies with security policies we have no idea of. Strangely enough, the security of data has always been the primary concern in cloud computing, at least as far as business or government applications are concerned. Perhaps it is time for us to be more diligent about the way how easily we provide critical data across the Internet and question specific security features of a service. As much as cloud computing is invading our lives, there may even be a need for certain minimum level security requirements as well as guarantees that data will be held safe and will be restored in a case of emergency. Perhaps we will also be seeing insurances to jump on this opportunity an extend homeowners and renters insurance with cloud service coverages.
I am far from predicting the future, but I am convinced that the PSN hack has led many companies, not just Sony, to evaluate their networks and how secure they are. Marketing claims aren't enough and even "reasonable" security measures aren't enough. Successful attacks in a mature cloud computing era could cause damage far beyond the inconvenience of replacing a credit card or taking a break from online video gaming and movie watching.
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I am not a fan of the could services. this is a great article and i strongly agree of the things mentioned here... lets take a back seat to these services. if people want to use them, well and fine... i am staying away.. and making my family stay away
possible identity theft and possible credit card fraud that could completely damage lives? how can it be worse? taking that into account what kind of compensation would be enough?
I keep telling people the privacy of data is why a true "cloud version of windows" won't come about. There is no way big companies will be willing to let MS store their sensitive/secret docs on MS's servers. I don't care how secure you can make the servers, I doubt many big companies will be willing to let some other company have any form of possible access to them.
I'm not sure reminding people about security is really an upside to the attack. I think the best thing that has come about because of this (other then Sony having more egg on their face) is that the hack wasn't as bad as people first thought, and hopefully everyone everywhere is busy patching their systems. A known flaw and a patch exists and Sony just hadn't got around to doing it yet?
Nice article.
I don't think even average consumers are excited or even care about cloud computing much less techies. I hate the idea of cloud computing and have yet to meet a techie (at least on this site) that actually is excited about the prospect of cloud computing- it just has too many security holes. Not only does it mean I have to be connected to the internet 24/7 which is sometimes not possible, but I also have to trust a huge company (hahahahaha) with my entire life. Yeah, not going to happen.
ha ha ha, so much for the CLOUD, lol
I don't get it why the article keeps poking at Google here and there, as if somehow they were connected to the big Sony flop. Let it be clear, Sony f...d up, not Google. If the op has a beef with cloud computing, he should include others; both MS and Apple have cloudy plans.
Not that I am defending cloud computing, I actually feel very uncomfortable with the whole idea; but keep pointing the finger at Sony, whose criminal negligence allowed all this to happen, and don't try to mix in other companies that have not screwed up so royally... yet.
And, really, this is not even about cloud computing; Sony elected to save the CC data and, even worse, to save it in an unsecured way. Nothing related to cloud here, just gross negligence and they need to pay the price for that. But, hey, nothing will happen to them, and nothing will change, and in a couple of months we will hear of yet another "loss" of data from some corporation that was supposed to safeguard it.
As far as the CC info, the more the thieves wait, the more secure Sony and the customers feel. Even if only 5% of the CC info will be still valid after a few months, the data will still be worth millions. This was an inside job in connection with some real professionals. Just like the vast majority of breaches are inside jobs.
Man! I couldn't have said it better two thumbs up to the guy who wrote this! Thank god there still exist people with a brain! Tom's is so lucky to have people like this in their staff, because this is what we need, and not dumbasses praising or even tolerating stupid cloud computing arguing things about security or whatever they want to say, denying the truth behind big brother's new project (YES, cloud-damn-computing) I really cannot stress out enough how great this article is, and how much I admire this kind of writers and editors. Again, people that refuse to abandon their brains and talk with the truth! The only thing left to say is please, please, please continue to do this as good as it has always been. It is no secret that the future lies in the hands of knowledge wielders, in this case, being "techies" as someone else already stated, because us techies are the people having the knowledge in our hands, and the same ones that get to use their brains, and use the knowledge we have to analyze and reject this or any kind of crap that others want to impose (sometimes successfully) on the always-decreasing-IQ average consumer, who will without doubt follow whatever others tell them to do or think, such as how great cloud computing is. And I repeat; I cannot stress out how great this article is. THANK YOU!!! Whoever wrote this should definitely get promoted, congratulations for writing such a valuable piece of information you are more than a genius!!! Oh and please, keep spreading the word!
I agree. I'm sure more attacks will occur but I believe that most if not all companies have learned from this and will strengthen security.
Also, laws will be written that will protect us and fines and punishments could be set in place now that should have been previously, to protect companies from these hackers.
Now if we can just get the PSN back up, we can move on.
I don't get it why the article keeps poking at Google here and there, as if somehow they were connected to the big Sony flop. Let it be clear, Sony f...d up, not Google. If the op has a beef with cloud computing, he should include others; both MS and Apple have cloudy plans.Not that I am defending cloud computing, I actually feel very uncomfortable with the whole idea; but keep pointing the finger at Sony, whose criminal negligence allowed all this to happen, and don't try to mix in other companies that have not screwed up so royally... yet.And, really, this is not even about cloud computing; Sony elected to save the CC data and, even worse, to save it in an unsecured way. Nothing related to cloud here, just gross negligence and they need to pay the price for that. But, hey, nothing will happen to them, and nothing will change, and in a couple of months we will hear of yet another "loss" of data from some corporation that was supposed to safeguard it.As far as the CC info, the more the thieves wait, the more secure Sony and the customers feel. Even if only 5% of the CC info will be still valid after a few months, the data will still be worth millions. This was an inside job in connection with some real professionals. Just like the vast majority of breaches are inside jobs.
It has ALL to do with Cloud Computing, I mean, after all it is the exact same way things will work in cloud computing... what is it you say? Big companies "keeping" your information instead of keeping it yourself. companies that are supposed to keep it safely, and that were supposedly keeping it in the right way, because as this article stated; if it wasn't for the attack no one would know how hack-able our information is in hands of supposedly responsible company. So, as you should know, NO system on earth (at all) is fail-proof, NONE, and then we will wind up knowing it is a matter of time until the company that keeps your info gets hacked. And sorry if this reply is rude or something but i really don't mean it, I only try to speak clearly.
"even f it may " typo fyi.
interesting article
no cloud for me, not in 5 years or 500 years. (I don't plan to stick around that long)
but seriously, I don't care for cloud or any other name service, I rather have my programs, games or files on my own hard drive(s).
need them "away" from my hard drives?
that's what backups are good for, secure from any intruders on "their" cloud.
hahahaahahahahahahahhaha at all SONY fan boyz HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA
get a life, your know nothing. billions for reparing old servers? st up id, f m uck
I've never been a great opposer of cloud computing from the very beginning.
I find there's very little good on it, and aside from google docs allowing you to read pdf and excel files without installing an office suite, I find it has more bad than good to offer.
I doubt very few people want to run 3D games on cellphones that can not be run from a local processor. Especially for the 480x320 resolution most phones have these days, and 800x480 pixels for modern phones.
Listen to all of you. I am sure at least half of you have made an online purchase within the last 30 days.
I think they had it coming...
I AM GRATEFUL, INSTEAD OF WAITING TILL THE WEEKEND TO PLAY BLACK OPS,MODERN WARFARE 2 OR WORLD AT WAR. NOW I COULD WORRY ABOUT SCHOOL AND THE CST'S ARE COMING IN 2 WEEKS SO I'M GETTING PREPARED. WISH ME LUCK. BUT I DO HOPE IT COMES BACK AT JUNE FOR I COULD PLAY CALL OF DUTY ON MY SUMMER TIME.
D:
Could is good for one thing. Everyone is going to keep their stuff on the cloud including the documents, pictures, music, movies and so on. If a company is low on money or just bored, they'll get access into the cloud and dig in people's stuff. Then they'll just sue bunch of people for some quick cash... Somebody should make a movie about this :-)
-1 Console
+1 PC
worst article ever. potential knowing credit cards could be at any ones hands is more than enough. even if they have not scam you in a month or a year just knowing that there is a possibility that it can someday happen when you least expect it is a little uneasy. its a piece of mind that will take a long time maybe not ever to get over.
the author of this is a true cocksocket go fuck yourself asshole everyone enjoys time outside i work 8 hrs a day married and have 2 kids but i like playing games every few days for a few hrs thats a real big bullshit thing to say when you don't know if ppl are actually spending they lives online. go look in a park, mall, job site or ect. im sure some of them if not a majority play online games this isnt the dark ages anymore so many ppl play anymore and its being left in the dark is why everyones mad not the downtime
clouding - just a new way to suck money - --first it was records, then tapes, then 8 tracks, cds, mp3, mp4, etc
advances - more advances -- just more products -- the sound hasn't gotten any better --
now the friggin' cloud -- hey -- buy it ---and we'll hold onto it for ya --- f u -- over my dead body --
the sony hack?--- sony was hacked by a major competitor to weaken their position -- some jackass like google or apple hacked them to weaken them because there is an all out war now for clouding -- these wall street investors are dying to get into this BS and so are all major media companies -- so stupid -- its just the next "thing" to do...
who cares about cc info -- my bank will credit me if someone else uses it - and so do most banks --- cancel the card if you are scared -- its all vulnerable online and you know it -- even walking down the street -- my damn chase card has a RFID chip in it -- that can be scanned if someone has the software -- from up to 20 feet away -- your data is always vulnerable --
the truth is a bitch
amen ted!!!
the author of this is a true cocksocket go fuck yourself asshole everyone enjoys time outside i work 8 hrs a day married and have 2 kids but i like playing games every few days for a few hrs thats a real big bullshit thing to say when you don't know if ppl are actually spending they lives online. go look in a park, mall, job site or ect. im sure some of them if not a majority play online games this isnt the dark ages anymore so many ppl play anymore and its being left in the dark is why everyones mad not the downtime
ROTFL Man! You are soooooo short-minded, or I could say stupid, don't blame the autor, he's still got his brain inside the skull unlike many of you! Ok, go ahead and enjoy your online gaming, go and feed big brother and their future business, or better said information control. It is EXACTLY because fools like you that the whole world is getting worse! Because you care for fun and entertainment instead of worrying about what REALLY happens behind the curtains. Wanna have fun on the go!??? buy a gaming laptop. Anything you wanna do, but OWN your damn information, don't you give it away to "responsible" companies that will do whatever they want with it behind your fool back! NO SIR! DOWN WITH CLOUD COMPUTING!!!
look at the other hacked sites and systems in recent history. Who had the keys,which keys?
Here's the "million" dollar question : Instead of offering 1 million dollar theft insurance Sony paid every PS3 owner 1 million dollars in damages. Sony would no longer exist as a result. Would you rather take the money or keep buying Sony products present and future (i.e. tv's, PS4, PSN, etc.)? p.s. if u wouldn't take the money ur a fanboy.
I AM GRATEFUL, INSTEAD OF WAITING TILL THE WEEKEND TO PLAY BLACK OPS,MODERN WARFARE 2 OR WORLD AT WAR. NOW I COULD WORRY ABOUT SCHOOL AND THE CST'S ARE COMING IN 2 WEEKS SO I'M GETTING PREPARED. WISH ME LUCK. BUT I DO HOPE IT COMES BACK AT JUNE FOR I COULD PLAY CALL OF DUTY ON MY SUMMER TIME. D:
I really for you'r sake typing isnt on this test.
But i like cloud for the small stuff. Like steam where i can just install things where ever even with out disks or save games or syncing trillian with my phone computer and whatever. As for turning over my computer to the internet? F that. No matter what it is hackable. And if I don't want to be at home with my internet going to be less then easy to access unless i want tons of bills for internet access devices or want to use it through a PUBLIC wifi! Then if my net is down for some reason i am royally F'ed.( look at the sony psn people for example. everything that relies on a net connection or a server is now gone. ) don't think so sorry.
Here's the "million" dollar question : Instead of offering 1 million dollar theft insurance Sony paid every PS3 owner 1 million dollars in damages. Sony would no longer exist as a result. Would you rather take the money or keep buying Sony products present and future (i.e. tv's, PS4, PSN, etc.)? p.s. if u wouldn't take the money ur a fanboy.
Here's the "million" dollar question : Instead of offering 1 million dollar theft insurance Sony paid every PS3 owner 1 million dollars in damages. Sony would no longer exist as a result. Would you rather take the money or keep buying Sony products present and future (i.e. tv's, PS4, PSN, etc.)? p.s. if u wouldn't take the money ur a fanboy.
Sorry about the weird posting. I clicked the quote button and for some reason it just posted and kicked me off the page. and logged me out.
Ill take the money. I already boycott anything sony as it is is i am aware they make it. After the bs they pulled with the FBI and the console crap. Though I'm not sure if not taking the money makes you a fan boy i would take it on my belief what they did is wrong others might not on their belief it would be wrong to do so. But thats also on the knowledge that this so called identity theft protection crap is garbage and the person who started this crap has had his identity stolen a butt load of times while subscribing to it him self. So sony in reality isn't giving anyone effected ANYTHING at all. Other then a big we don't really care but we are going to make it seem as if we do. Intended or not.
A big problem with cloud vs. local data storage is that cloud is one big target. If something goes wrong with it, everyone that depends on it suffers. With local data storage, the data is dispersed and the damage is limited. At this point, cloud looks to me more like an addition but not a replacement for local data storage.