3
Jun 2011
Five reasons I’m not scared of the PSN.
Okay so the Playstation Network is now back up in full, after the hacking outage. I bought a load of stuff last night – on a debit card. While that sinks in and you start rushing around to find tins of baked beans and see if the shelter needs airing out, I’ll list five reasons why there’s no point in being terrified of the service stealing your soul.
1. It is now probably the most secure network in gaming. Seriously, think about it. They’re never going to take this chance again, and you know that the security systems they’ve put in place are probably of incredibly high quality, so relax a little. Oh no – what about my Xbox details? Argh! I’m kidding, guys, calm down.
2. Most networks are hackable; everything can be hacked. There is no such thing as an infallible network security system. Think of it as a technological arms race, and realise that even now, there are networks that you consider safe that will eventually be hacked. Don’t believe me? How did you feel about the PSN six months ago? Right, exactly.
3. You can wipe your details. I don’t know if they keep backups (possibly, if so that’s a little silly), but I can delete my details off the PSN in under thirty seconds. Xbox Live? That’s a good hour of fumbling around, as their site is so badly designed it’s almost impossible to remove card details. So pay, wipe, and chill out.
4. Paranoia is healthy. That’s a paraphrased quote from our IT department, specifically our own security whiz. Without paranoia governing the way in which you use your information on the web, you’re putting yourself at risk. Security was developed out of the worry of being stolen from, so don’t assume fear isn’t healthy and compromises your fond sentiments towards the PSN.
5. You will save money on tinfoil. If you’re going to go on a paranoid crusade and assume every one of your details is going missing somewhere, you’re not going to be able to enjoy the amazing technologically-focused world around you. We have WiFi (not secure), the PSN (not secure), and houses! Again, not secure! But the chances of things like this happening are miniscule. It’s why we were all so shocked in the first place.
That’s it, guys. Enjoy your weekend, and for the love of all that is Sony, please stop trading in your consoles. You’re making Microsoft richer. And that’s coming from an Xbox owner.
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Christos, what a load of codswallop.
You say “Most networks are hackable; everything can be hacked. There is no such thing as an infallible network security system”, if that was the case no body would use online banks, email, etc. The only reason PSN was hacked (multiple times) was that they didn’t have adequate security in place to detect and to fend off attacks.
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Paul, I respectfully disagree. You operate on the assumption that people will not use fallible systems, but this isn’t true. The vast majority of consumers are woefully unaware of security practises – I’d wager if most wireless routers didn’t come with encryption enabled, you’d soon find that the UK was full of open networks.
All systems are fallible, simply because of the constant arms race between those who crack the security of servers, and those who attempt to protect the data that resides within them. Although a system may spend a short period of time as a secure and unhackable one, chances are that eventually someone will find a hole, or develop a method of punching through their defences that trumps the ones in place.
We use email, online banking and the PSN because there are no alternatives. We like taking the train to work, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be mugged during our commute, does it? At the same time, that small risk of crime perpetrated at our expense doesn’t stop us from taking the train altogether, because there are no alternatives should we wish to arrive at work within in a reasonable time period.
There’s no reason not to be secure – don’t use the same password for more than one site, use wireless encryption, be careful when banking online – but to suggest that my statement is in some way suggestive of an attitude of disconnected bliss, our data secure in servers no one will ever benefit from, including ourselves, may constitute the “codswallop” in this particular debate.
Everything you do, from crossing the street to logging into MSN, has an element of risk. You may have a great front door lock, but it doesn’t mean that someone can’t invent a better lockpick.
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Please note, however, that the PSN was indeed hacked because of poor security, but to suggest that no one could ever get inside seems somewhat short-sighted.
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