The hits just keep on rolling. Square Enix, best known for the Final Fantasy series that defined and ruined console RPGs, reports an attack against several of their web pages that may have exposed up to 25,000 e-mail addresses and 350 job applications. Computer Weekly has the story.
As game companies get bigger, hacks against their customer databases will become more attractive. We’re not talking about some kid in his mom’s basement, either, but organized identity theft rings backed by criminal gangs in Russia, China, and other lovely places around the world.
Computer security can’t stop an attack, only make it harder. If the prize is worth the effort, security will be broken. The only way for a company to protect itself and its customers is to take that data completely offline — something most would be unwilling to do.
Protect yourself! Avoid feeding personal information to these corporate beasts, and do your best to pay with disposable cards rather than something tied to your bank account. If a company you do business with does get hit, respond immediately by changing your password, canceling any related credit and debit cards, and putting together a fresh financial identity. There is no “maybe” in keeping thieves away from your money.