Phishing on Xbox Live

[Image: xbox-live-logo.jpg]So according to Kotaku, which I finally had enough time to browse through today, Microsoft has admitted that people are trying to steal info from gamers on Xbox Live.

I don’t use Xbox Live, because I’m a cheap bastard smart gamer and I like to play my games online for free, so what amuses me about this post is the commentary:

There’s only so much any company can do to protect customers who are willing to re-enter personal info at the drop of a hat, but for all the sacrifices we make on the closed LIVE platform, it’s supposed to be an experience free from the everyday burdens of a PC.

I get the “idiot-proof” theory of making things. It does make a certain amount of sense to make sure that everyone, no matter how dumb they are or how little they know about the “conventional” way of working technology, can use it.

But on the other hand, people will always try to dupe them. So really, the more idiots you have on your network, the less secure it is. You with me?

Part of me feels like if people want to play Halo 3 online with their friends, they should spend a few minutes with a manual or a friend, and learn the language of online gaming. Part of that language is learning not to go throwing your password and personal info around whenever something asks for it.

I’m not articulating my point very well, but I think you might get the gist. If you want to speak German, learn German. If you want to speak Spanish, learn Spanish. If you want to speak Internet Gaming, learn Internet Gaming.

KTHX