Gamertell

Well, the score is now Square Enix: 0, Hackers: 2. Square Enix has attempted to put copyright protection in its DS games, first in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates, and now in the Japanese version of Chrono Trigger DS. Chrono Trigger is scheduled to debut in Japan on November 20, 2008, but already the rom of the game has been leaked online.

Initially, pirates were unable to play the Chrono Trigger rom though, due to Square Enix copyright protection that would make the game glitchy or crash. Not to be deterred, some adept hackers created a code which allows the game to run normally. Two codes were created, one for M3 Real flashcarts and one for general flashcarts, to allow pirates to play undisturbed.

Its disappointing to see protection broken so quickly…

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Massive Multiplayer Online games, or MMOs, are among the most popular genres and currently attract millions of users. One of the most popular, World of Warcraft, has recently surpassed nine million subscribers around the world.

Users can trade goods and services in these virtual worlds and many times real money is used as the basis for the transactions (wth in-game credits based on real-world cash). Unfortunately hackers tend to attack environments where lots of people gather so that they can obtain easy profits by cheating and tricking users.

Because of the MMO’s architecture, a big part of the program must be installed on the user’s computer, putting that area beyond the control of traditional firewalls. Security experts say there is little protection on these environments against attacks so they have come up with a solution that may delight some and anger others: play at work.

Corporate networks are generally safer than home based networks because they employ more robust security measures. “In the enterprise space, networks are protected by intrusion protection systems. This involves much more security than the firewall used by consumers. The firewall is completely useless against game site malware,” said John Carmichael, security trainer and engineer for Security Innovation.

Intrusion protection systems would interfere with the performance of traditional home connections so that would affect the gameplay. These systems are better suited for high-traffic corporate networks so, ironically, it would be better to go on raids during your 9 to 5 than on your free time.

Now you finally have a real excuse for your boss.

Read [Tech News World]

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On the Xbox forums. many users have reported that phishers - sites or companies that pose as other sites/companies to get login information - have squeezed vital account details from many XBOX Live users and sabotaged many Live accounts.  Now Microsoft has accepted that phishers pose a threat to XBOX Live security and is taking steps to extenuate the problem to protect user interests.

Microsoft is taking steps to prevent the phishers from further imperiling Xbox Live and fraudulently assuming control over user accounts. Microsoft is working closely with the customer support staff, retraining them and briefing them about ways to get around the problem…

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