Hacktivists Wage War
Apr 11, 8:00 am
We all know that no game console is perfect. With each new generation comes major improvements and we gamers have learned to take the electronic advances in stride with the downfalls.
For some gamers, these “downfalls” are just problems needing their personal attention. Or maybe it’s the claims by the company that “their system is un-hackable”. Either way, it’s a call to action. The average gamer may not possess the knowledge to manipulate their console in a way the manufacturer never intended. But for a Hacker, Cracker or cheater it’s an invitation to their next challenge, part of an on-going obsession, or merely just an ego trip.
For example…the Kinect offers great features for the average consumer, but, in the hands of someone from MIT, it can become a flying machine. However, doing this to your Kinect (even in the name of science) voids its warranty, I’m sure. But it’s THEIR Kinect. They bought it. They can do anything they want to it… right? It’s certainly a valid argument.
Playstation vs. Xbox, everyone has an opinion. Everyone picks a side. Both consoles suffer from hackers, crackers and cheaters. But not all hackers are created equal. Not every hacker is a cheater, not every Cracker is a cyber terrorist and not every cheater gets caught. One thing is true; Cheaters usually will ruin it for everyone.
Sony provides a console that offers certain features. A gamer buys that console because of the features it offers. If Playstation decides to remove one of those features by way of a massive online system update, then, the gamer is left with a console that no longer performs the way he or she had purchased it for. Should the consumer be allowed to restore whatever function was removed if he or she has the knowledge or skill to do so?
I use my PS3 for primarily watching Blu-Rays. If Sony decided they no longer wanted their consoles to offer Blu-Ray and sent out a patch that altered my system, I would be really upset. If I had the skill to get it back, would I be within my right to do so? Sony thinks not.
George Francis Hotz, (known online at geohot), is infamous for unlocking the iPhone, thus allowing his phone to be used with other wireless carriers, and created numerous Jailbreaks for other various Apple iOS devices. In recent news, he has been gaining notoriety for hacking the PlayStation 3 and is subsequently being sued by Sony.
Sony demanded Geohot’s social media sites (like YouTube) to hand over IP addresses of people who visited his pages/videos. PayPal has granted access to Sony for them to view Geohot’s PayPal account. The judge of the case has given permission to Sony to view the IP addresses of everyone who visited http://www.geohot.com
That just sounds insane to me. I wanted to know what this guy did to get Sony so bent out of shape. Well apparently, on January 2, 2011, he posted the root keys of the PlayStation 3 on his website. Basically he reverse engineered the PlayStation 3’s security system and posted “jailbreaking” software that allows users to run unauthorized programs on their PS3s. This prompted legal action by Sony and they hit him with a lawsuit. On GeoHot’s website it says that “Sony does not even try to allege piracy or copyright infringement in this case, they allege I did things like play ‘Super Mario World, an unauthorized game’ on MY PS3. And access MY PS3 in an unauthorized way.”
Geohot isn’t the only hacker to be at war with Sony. Graf_chokolo and fail0verflow are two hackers that were working on a way to re-enable Linux on PS3s. In February Graf_Chokolo’s house was raided by the police and he two finds himself in a horrible legal battle with Sony.
The plight of these young men has caught the attention of a “hacktivist” group called Anonymous . This group has lashed out at Sony in a statement and video they released on their website. This vengeful cyber attack is called #OpSony and they claimed to be responsible for taking down Sony.com and Playstation.com. I also read that in addition to crashing Sony’s sites and network, the group has also published personal information on Sony executives and have been placing erotic personals in their names.
Both Sony.com and Playstation.com were down for several hours in the U.S. and Europe after this threat went viral. However, Sony has refused to acknowledge the attacks and instead claims that their sites were just undergoing regular website maintenance and posting this statement: “PSN are currently undergoing sporadic maintenance. Access to the PSN may be interrupted throughout the day. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
If these sites WERE experiencing the wrath of Anonymous, then it’s too bad regular customers and average gamers got caught up in this battle like civilian casualties.
Personally, I blame the cheaters. If there weren’t so many bad apples, Sony wouldn’t have to worry about how their consumers use their products.
Sony would prefer that you use your PS3 the way THEY intend for you to use it. When you sign the “terms of use and service agreement” to play online, you are essentially giving Sony the right to tell you how to use your console. I’m ok with this. I am just hoping for the day when I can turn on my Playstation and play a game without waiting 2 to 4 hours in the sea of endless and mysterious updates.
Sony may be fighting a losing battle for control over their consumer. In the wise words of Princess Leia “The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”
Apr 11, 8:00 am
We all know that no game console is perfect. With each new generation comes major improvements and we gamers have learned to take the electronic advances in stride with the downfalls.
For some gamers, these “downfalls” are just problems needing their personal attention. Or maybe it’s the claims by the company that “their system is un-hackable”. Either way, it’s a call to action. The average gamer may not possess the knowledge to manipulate their console in a way the manufacturer never intended. But for a Hacker, Cracker or cheater it’s an invitation to their next challenge, part of an on-going obsession, or merely just an ego trip.
For example…the Kinect offers great features for the average consumer, but, in the hands of someone from MIT, it can become a flying machine. However, doing this to your Kinect (even in the name of science) voids its warranty, I’m sure. But it’s THEIR Kinect. They bought it. They can do anything they want to it… right? It’s certainly a valid argument.
Playstation vs. Xbox, everyone has an opinion. Everyone picks a side. Both consoles suffer from hackers, crackers and cheaters. But not all hackers are created equal. Not every hacker is a cheater, not every Cracker is a cyber terrorist and not every cheater gets caught. One thing is true; Cheaters usually will ruin it for everyone.
Sony provides a console that offers certain features. A gamer buys that console because of the features it offers. If Playstation decides to remove one of those features by way of a massive online system update, then, the gamer is left with a console that no longer performs the way he or she had purchased it for. Should the consumer be allowed to restore whatever function was removed if he or she has the knowledge or skill to do so?
I use my PS3 for primarily watching Blu-Rays. If Sony decided they no longer wanted their consoles to offer Blu-Ray and sent out a patch that altered my system, I would be really upset. If I had the skill to get it back, would I be within my right to do so? Sony thinks not.
George Francis Hotz, (known online at geohot), is infamous for unlocking the iPhone, thus allowing his phone to be used with other wireless carriers, and created numerous Jailbreaks for other various Apple iOS devices. In recent news, he has been gaining notoriety for hacking the PlayStation 3 and is subsequently being sued by Sony.
Sony demanded Geohot’s social media sites (like YouTube) to hand over IP addresses of people who visited his pages/videos. PayPal has granted access to Sony for them to view Geohot’s PayPal account. The judge of the case has given permission to Sony to view the IP addresses of everyone who visited http://www.geohot.com
That just sounds insane to me. I wanted to know what this guy did to get Sony so bent out of shape. Well apparently, on January 2, 2011, he posted the root keys of the PlayStation 3 on his website. Basically he reverse engineered the PlayStation 3’s security system and posted “jailbreaking” software that allows users to run unauthorized programs on their PS3s. This prompted legal action by Sony and they hit him with a lawsuit. On GeoHot’s website it says that “Sony does not even try to allege piracy or copyright infringement in this case, they allege I did things like play ‘Super Mario World, an unauthorized game’ on MY PS3. And access MY PS3 in an unauthorized way.”
Geohot isn’t the only hacker to be at war with Sony. Graf_chokolo and fail0verflow are two hackers that were working on a way to re-enable Linux on PS3s. In February Graf_Chokolo’s house was raided by the police and he two finds himself in a horrible legal battle with Sony.
The plight of these young men has caught the attention of a “hacktivist” group called Anonymous . This group has lashed out at Sony in a statement and video they released on their website. This vengeful cyber attack is called #OpSony and they claimed to be responsible for taking down Sony.com and Playstation.com. I also read that in addition to crashing Sony’s sites and network, the group has also published personal information on Sony executives and have been placing erotic personals in their names.
Both Sony.com and Playstation.com were down for several hours in the U.S. and Europe after this threat went viral. However, Sony has refused to acknowledge the attacks and instead claims that their sites were just undergoing regular website maintenance and posting this statement: “PSN are currently undergoing sporadic maintenance. Access to the PSN may be interrupted throughout the day. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
If these sites WERE experiencing the wrath of Anonymous, then it’s too bad regular customers and average gamers got caught up in this battle like civilian casualties.
Personally, I blame the cheaters. If there weren’t so many bad apples, Sony wouldn’t have to worry about how their consumers use their products.
Sony would prefer that you use your PS3 the way THEY intend for you to use it. When you sign the “terms of use and service agreement” to play online, you are essentially giving Sony the right to tell you how to use your console. I’m ok with this. I am just hoping for the day when I can turn on my Playstation and play a game without waiting 2 to 4 hours in the sea of endless and mysterious updates.
Sony may be fighting a losing battle for control over their consumer. In the wise words of Princess Leia “The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”
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