One way Sony can stop hackers: Pay hackers to stop hackers

The Sony Geniuses do not like to mention any news about hacking on their site, simply because they believe its wrong. Developers put their sweat and tears into each game, and consumers believe getting it for free will benefit them in the future. Well thats how developers close down, when people make illegal copies rather than buying the game. However, this a different story that might help Sony stop the hackers in their tracks. Sony should hire hackers in the community, to help fix this problem. This could be done by giving them a job at Sony, or rewarding them a huge reward to stop the hacking (Say a worth while amount of money, maybe $10K, to stop hackers from breaking the PlayStation 3). Check out after the break on how this method could be in favor of Sony.

[Dante112]

Doesn't Sony already have "hackers" preventing other hackers from PSN access?

[anh_duong]

paying hackers off??

wouldn't that create more hackers?

"please hack our system and if you are successful we will give you a job and lots of money"

hmmm....

[LoVeRSaMa]

Its called Ethical Hacking, they hire people who look for security problems, its nothing new..

Plus the people who make programs know how to look for security loop holes, theres normally always a way round it, but its there job to plug it up as much as possible..

[anh_duong]

that is intrinsically what companies do anyways.. in other words a software security expert is more or less a hacker who is employed by the company. the difference is one is on a payroll and the other isn't.

furthermore, the problem is there are millions of hackers out there.. who do you employ?? you can't just put a job vacancy add out there..

can you imagine an ad looking for a hacker?

"pls hack our system.. if you are successful we will employ you"..

the idea seems great in principle but is really unmanageable in practice..

the only thing the can do is really enlist secruity experts and consultants - which in essense is what every major software company does..

every software company in the world has issues with security.. don't you think they considered this approach of offering hackers jobs.. microsoft, google, ibm et al employ some of the best software engineers in the world but they do not have this policy of employing hackers.

ANOTHER reason why this does not work is to be a successful hacker you often have to collaborate with other hacker (sharing information and co-operating etc - you can't just get information for free). can you imagine a sony employed hacker sharing information on hacking with other non-sony hackers? it just doesn't work. hackers work best because they work an the edge of what is legal and isn't legal. a sony employed hacker can't do the same.

great idea on paper but not workable in real life..

[ComboBreaker]

That's like, paying a kidnapper not to kidnap your child, which is called blackmailing or, a ranson afterward.

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

Was just about to say that. You can actually get a degree in hacking and it is a legal job. Has been for quite a while. All major electronics company's have them.

[KRATOS-PS3]

BAN THESE HACKERS!

Hacking against Hacking is like reacting with violence against violence.

[msbabie20034]

not 100% sony like all others hire "network" or IT people doesnt mean that those focus all their resources for just "hacking" i will say i side with sony in this, ina sense i side with fail over and geohot.

i OWN my ps3, sony sold it to me, but i also want security as well. whether who wins or loses, this is will be one to watch. this geohot case may really change gaming as we know it today.

internet alone opened a lot of doors, doors that even big corporations didn't anticipate.

[ChrisW]

Fight fire with fire.

Hmmm... Sometimes it works, and sometimes you just get burned even more.

[r1sh12]

Its a model that works...
Thats how security/ anti virus companies work.
They employ the people that make the viruses and then find ways to stop them after they are created.

Its the best way to find solutions of systems getting hacked and how to patch them.
Although whether the Sony issue gets patched is another thing, but they should consult these sorts of people when creating a system.
The thing is, the best security experts are hackers who are not employed, the best way to stop them is pay them to hack your system and find a patch.
Thats how browsers get re-secured, after the hacking events with prizes.

[R2D2]

The FBI tried this in Colombia to combat the war on Cocaine and guess what those former Colombian FBI trained agents did with the talent that the FBI provided to them.

[Thesonygeniuses]

we dont know this for sure. if geohotz were to say be hired from sony (which would never happen) he would slowly fade away from the forums and hacking community. There hasnt been any big name hackers that have disappeared from the hacking community yet.

[citan]

I'm sure the real hacking community has nothing to do with GeoHot. If you bitch around with a big HACKER sign on your forehead, you're just a media whore. Real hackers keep a low profile because of the very nature of what they do.

[SuicideShaun]

Geohots just a tool. He's a disgrace to the smart talented people who have the skill to actually modify and hack things. He's just a stupid kid with too much time on his hands. Get a job.

[clearelite]

@thesonygeniuses:
Whoops, I read your comment wrong and gave you a disagree. So, here's a bubble for "well said"..
Sony is already paying hackers to stop hackers like many companies. Nice article though and maybe they could use use a few more on their team.

Lots of engineers and computer savvy people know how to "hack", you have to know how to hack in order to know how to be great at stopping hacks.

Some companies will even offer large rewards for anyone who can infiltrate their system in order to test it and improve upon it.

I wish people would grow up and stop stealing newly released games though.

[yewles1]

I believe there was an A&E documentary called "Triple Cross", which perfectly proves why this is a BAD idea.

[NotSoSilentBob]

Ahh yes have Sony pay hackers to not hack is like laying out a Red Carpet to other hackers saying mess with our electronics and we will offer you a job for it.

[Dart89]

Umm i either over did it with beers or this is the dumbest thing i've ever read.

[Neko_Mega]

Yes pay hackers to screw people over.

Yeah I don't think so.

[Kran]

BRILLIANT IDEA.

Pay the hackers to hack more.

Wow, I couldn't have thought of a better idea myself

/s ¬¬

[fredfenster]

Yeah Sony (or MS or Nintendo for that matter) really depends on these hackers to solve shit. Sony got more skilled ppl on their staff, that's why they can make a legitimate living of it.

[JD_Shadow]

Well, they obviously need a new team of security experts to look for the holes because the ones they had for the past 3 years apparently suck ass with the way they overlooked something that Geohot's team only needed 6 months or so to find!

[lodossrage]

"Pay the hackers to stop"

That's pretty much the virtual equal of giving into a terrorist or ransomers demands.

How many of you gave bully's your money back in school? Some of you probably did exactly that in hopes they'd leave you alone. And did they? NO, they just kept doing it again because they knew they could milk you for all it's worth

Which is EXACTLY why this "way to stop hackers" this opinion piece is throwing at us is D.U.M.B

Paying a hacker that's in your company's employee is one thing. That's their JOB to do things like this and find solutions. But to pay people like Geohot or those others? yeah right

[lodossrage]

double post