About 2.5 million Xbox and PSP gamers were reportedly hacked. A data breach occurred in two popular gaming forums in 2015 which exposed the account details of its users. This could eventually result in opening up their other online accounts by hackers.
September 2015. CNET reported that Xbox 360 and PSP users were hacked in 2015 and this was reported by security expert Troy Hunt's website. Moreover, even if financial details have not been stored, the other information could be used to somehow access it through the use of the e-mail addresses and passwords.
The two popular gaming forums that were breached by hackers in 2015 were 'XBOX360 ISO' and 'PSP ISO'. Daily Mail Online reported that while this hack occurred two years ago, the details of the leak are only just being revealed now. Does this mean that the account information has been released or recently sold to the public? Gamers who have used the forum in the past are strongly advised to change the passwords of all of their accounts associated with their e-mail address and name in the forum.
How Will Hackers Use the Info? Hackers make use of the information in a lot of ways. The most obvious way is by using the e-mail accounts and passwords associated with the accounts to access other information. This includes e-mail addresses and other potential sites that may have the users' financial information.
Some hackers will even go so far as to contact friends and family members of people they have hacked. They will make fake accounts from the data they gathered using the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses of the individuals whose data they have. They will then reach out to their friends and family and find a way to extort money from them through illegal ways.
Account Protection. Mail Online reports that e-mail addresses, account password, and IP addresses of the users were all exposed by the hack. While hacking exists, there are still counter-measures that users can take to prevent this from happening.
Other readers from CNET and Daily Mail Online have also suggested to never use their real online details when dealing with unsafe sites. In addition, they should have a separate e-mail address and log-in details specifically used for forums and other unsafe downloads. Moreover, if financial or payment information is ever required, it is always best to use a debit card or a prepaid card and never give your credit card and bank details.
In addition, it is also important to never reuse passwords, especially with sites whose security is questionable. Periodically changing one's password is also important as well as enabling multi-step verification. All users of the forums listed above, as well as gamers who have downloaded Xbox 360 and PSP ISOs, are strongly encouraged to change their e-mail addresses ASAP.
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