Chapter 4.2 Information Security{0}
In the article from www.betanews.com, they explained how hackers cracked the code to the game Halo Reach. Developers at Microsoft gave out 99,999 Microsoft Points worth $1,250.00 to avid game reviewers prior to the release date of September 14, 2010. Unfortunately for Microsoft, game modders at “GameTut” known for cracking computer codes got access to valuable information. They cracked into the unreleased version of Halo Reach, which was suppose to only go to selected reviewers (Conneally, 2010).
The modders at “GameTut” take full credit for cracking the code. They stated on a well-known forum that the cracked Halo Reach game will not be leaked onto the web. Within 24 hours of the forum posting, the full version of Halo Reach was available for download on several websites such as Piratebay and Bittorrent. The only Microsoft Xbox Live consoles that can play the game are ones that have been modified to play hacked video games. According to “GameTut,” modifying your Xbox is fairly simple and only takes a few minutes (Conneally, 2010).
How does this relate to chapter 4.2 Information Security? If Microsoft took more stygian precautionary measures they could have prevented the leak. This is how “Authentication and Authorization” comes into the action plan. Authentication is a means to confirm a person’s identity. Once the authentication is confirmed the person is now authorized to use the data (Baltzan & Phillips, 2011). I have a few ways to that might have prevented the leak. One of my suggestions would be sending hard copies of Halo Reach to selected reviewers through snail mail requiring a certified signature. My second suggestion is to create a special server with access codes given to only game reviewers.
Information Security can be one of the most over shadowed premises of a company. Microsoft put a lot of money into developing Halo Reach and its advertisements. The video game did gross $200 million dollars on its first day (Conneally, 2010). Unfortunately, it could have been more if they took more security measures.
Works Cited:
Conneally, T. (2010) Halo: Reach hacked, leaked weeks before anticipated release date, Retrieved September 20, 2010, from www.betanews.com:
http://www.betanews.com/article/Halo-Reach-hacked-leaked-weeks-before-anticipated-release-date/1282597893
Baltzan, P., & Phillips, A. (2011). Information Systems. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.