Microsoft Wants to Improve Xbox One’s Security: “a Nightmare For the Most Skilled Hackers”

While they had nothing to do with actual hacking, the DDOS attacks that put a dent in many gamers’ Holidays brought the problem of security back under the spotlight, and Microsoft seems to be taking it seriously.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

"Would you like to build a device so secure, that it is a nightmare for the most skilled hackers, yet a delight for all our customers?"

"making Xbox One the most secure and trustworthy consumer computing devices in the world."

I know this is an ad PR but Wow sounds like MS is hiring some of the best engineers in the country.

My only concern is Xbox OS is starting to become more open. (Not completely no PC Xbox crossplay still) I just hope it doesn't close any doors on the developers end.

[BallsEye]

in the country? Companies like MS get their engineers from all over the world. They hire the best of the best no matter where they come from. I'm blown away with all the updates MS did on XO since launch. Amazing work.

[Dee_91]

They basically just put a huge target on their back.

[crashbash]

Yeah, because no has targeted them already, good thinking. Maybe they should tell everyone they're not going to bother doing anything.

[Dee_91]

Yea because "huge target" means never targeted.Thanks for putting words in my mouth.Try reading without letting you emotions cloud your comprehension.
Telling hackers you are striving for an essentially unhackable machine will attract more hackers to test them, which isn't good for their consumers.Simply saying something along the lines of "we are increasing security" and leaving it at that would have been a safer response to the attacks.. In my opinion.. if i'm allowed to have one

[xTheMercenary_]

@Miyamotoson my question is why would they buy an xbox one if there isnt any electricity in your country??

[rainslacker]

Yeah, well, I honestly think people would prefer they make their operating system the most secure in the world. It's riddled with security holes, always has been, and MS networks are hacked quite regularly to varying degrees. To MS credit though, they do plug security holes usually within a day of being discovered.

I'm not saying that MS doesn't have skilled engineers, because they have some of the best in the world, but MS should know better than to boast about security. it's like putting down a welcome mat to hackers.

[TheRedButterfly]

"I know this is an ad PR but Wow sounds like MS is hiring some of the best engineers in the country. "

It's not an advertisement... It's a job-listing.

[PunisherRevenge]

I'm glad Microsoft is taking this seriously. I hope Sony is doing the same.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

So far Sony's giving out 5 days of PSN+ while MS is handling the situation.

I'm sure Sony will take counter measure but at the moment MS has the upper hand on this.

[nowitzki2004]

Hackers will hack. No matter how good microsoft makes it, Hackers will go crazy til they hack it.

[CernaML]

A few weeks ago there was an article about Sony doing the same exact thing. Every single one of you criticized them for doing it so late. Yet when Microsoft does it, its all praise and glory. Talk about double standards.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

@now That's interesting care to share a link I might of missed that particular news.

[SilentNegotiator]

@CernaML

Fanboys always go and invent their own context. Both companies are constantly working on security. It's not like they only hire temporary people every time a security issue (or in the case of a DDoS attack, a "security" issue) happens; they have entire departments that are dedicated to this stuff.

[OB1Biker]

btw this is a job opportunity. that doesnt mean Sony is not looking into improving PS4 security and actually neither has anything to do with DDOS so your comment sounds a bit irrelevant

[MeliMel]

Lol...Giving out 5 days of PS+ or just giving you back the 5 days it was fucked up?

[BG11579]

Meanwhile, another member from Lizard got caught...
Nice...

[pompous]

Hahaha. Sorry for laughing at your ignorant comment. Of course Sony is doing something. It's just they aren't the ones playing catch up and in desperation trying to put any positive news out. As I'm sure they're expecting sales to fall from that cliff again once $399 comes back without the fucking world being included. Both networks had issue after the attack stop and only Sony is trying to make right with customers with a little good will despite it not being their fault. I'm willing to bet MS does nothing to make right because xbox blew their load with all those holiday promotions. There's tons of post all over the net with people having issues into Saturday on both. My cousin couldn't set up his new xbox until Sat afternoon and I was streaming multiplayer Battlefield 4 Christmas Day on my ps4 as well as the day after as well.

[ger2396]

Why? Because they made an announcement? The 10% off is a plus, I'm sure Sony is working hard to rectify the problem.

[Rimeskeem]

Just because one company is stating what they are doing doesnt mean the other company isnt doing that same thing.

[CernaML]

http://n4g.com/news/1643696...

Same EXACT type of story reported on Dec26. The Microsoft crew thought itd be a great opportunity to criticize them instead though.

[joeorc]

What do you think Sony and Microsoft's countermove will be?

Good question. So far only Sony has actually tried to defend against us. They made a deal with a large DDoS protection company, Prolexic, after apparently deciding they stood no chance against us in-house.

http://www.washingtonpost.c...

yes, because Sony is just sitting there doing nothing to protect their easy to hack network..LOL

[OB1Biker]

@CernaML
good find. And it was clearly stated for 'global information security architecture' unlike this one job opportunity which is more related to the console security 'how to protect a game or app running on the Xbox console '
Funny how so many comments suggest Microsoft should be lauded for anything as little as job ads while having a completely double standard approach for Sony as you rightly said.

[JoGam]

Both companies are working on security however Sony is the only company compensating their customers yet no one complains thats MS won't be compensating? Fanboys. Nothing more.

[XanderZane]

I was about to say the same thing. This is great that Microsoft wants to secure their network from hackers and other intruders. They are willing to hire the best people for the job. This kind of announcement I would expect from Sony as well. They need to do the exact same thing after the mess they had last year with all the outages and hacking done to their network. Hopefully Sony reads this article and decides to hire the network security admins to lock down their networks from hackers.

[Dee_91]

According to Lizard squad sony did beef up defense on psn, Msft on the other hand didn't at the time the attacks were happening.
http://www.businessinsider....

[poppinslops]

Lizard-Squad said they'd take Xbox Live down forever, but I'm on it right now...

Their word is entirely worthless.

[Dee_91]

'forever' in troll talk and 'forever' literally have two different meanings.
You believe what you want tho, i'm just a messenger bud

[blockcoc]

@Dee_91 Care to explain then?

[Dee_91]

Care to explain what? I don't need to explain myself, if you want to choose to not to believe what was stated in the article, you are free to do so, I don't really care.But considering these are the people who did the attacks, its safe to assume they have more knowledge on it then a random n4g member.

[jrshankill]

Sony would rather bribe their customers with free psn days than fix the problem. Finally decided to not renew PS+ when my subscription is up. No need for it.

[The_Blue]

3 consoles in and youre just now getting to it?

[ScorpiusX]

The other guys are 4 in and still haven't done anything but yet the 3 console annoy s you. Wow

[alstruck]

You mean the other "guy". The other old guy is 6 in, and he is just fine.

[CloudRap]

Can you Jtag an XB1/PS4?

[nowitzki2004]

I wish

[UltraAtomic]

good

[No_Limit]

As expected as XB1 is already pretty bloody hack proof already. hope Sony and Nintendo are also doing the same and hiring competent skilled workers to protect us gamers against the ever growing threat of cyber terrorists.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

The thing is its cost. To hire and pay their security teams.

They don't come cheap.

You can hire any level of security its how much are each company willing to throw on the table to get some of the best is the question.

[rainslacker]

All consoles are hack proof already, as it's not possible to access the system from the outside in a manner that is meaningful. It's their supporting networks which are the problem.

[CernaML]

LOL I love how your tune is totally different compared to the one you left here:
http://n4g.com/news/1643696...

[Dudebro90]

stop with these stupid freaking posts. They are job listings.

Good god become a real journalist and do some real journalistically work.

[Talgrath]

The fact of the matter is that a DDoS attack is not hacking, not really. If you have a credit card and a target, you can take a server down thanks to for-rent zombie malware networks; it's just a matter of how much network you buy.

[Hoffmann]

In other words..hackers might have problems but that won't stop the brute force of a big ddos attack which is relative easy to get done.

[Gwiz]

Yeah yeah,it's rather a nightmare to full proof any software from being tampered with lol, Denuvo UNHACKABLE!!!

and they know it.....

[ack591]

I don't know, it sounds like they are inviting hackers to hack their system

[voodoogts]

Hackers will hack. But making it more simple to hack the ps network is child's play. All those ps4 sales yet Sony can't up the security features? Power to the gamers or power to the company that doesn't invest back into the gamers?

[Petro]

Looks like you are just making assumptions without studying the subject. Sony is not sitting on their ass doing nothing, they are most certainly improving cause it hurts their reputation. http://www.thegamescabin.co...

[baodeus]

As long as data still travel from a to b, it is still hackable. Perhaps quantum pc may prove other wise.