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EVE Online Endures Downtime Due to Breached Security
Gamasutra is reporting that a serious security breach caused the closure of EVE Online this past weekend. A previously-unnoticed anomaly in a database prompted CCP, makers of the game, to close down the game world and their website while the issue was examined. The flaw was rectified, and service restored the same day. No credit card or billing information was exposed in the breach. "Explained [CCP chief of operations Jón Hörðdal], 'What we discovered was an indication that one of our databases was being accessed through a security breach. Our policy in such cases is to mobilize a taskforce of internal and external experts to evaluate the situation.' Hörðdal said that the taskforce concluded that going completely dark so that an exhaustive scan could be performed was the best course of action. 'While some may feel that such a drastic reaction was not warranted, it is always our approach to err on the side of caution in order to protect the players,' he said."
The most amusing thing about this story wasn't the story itself, but the rumors. Because the main forums run off the same database server as the game (a WTF in itself!), the developers were unable to post any information except through unofficial chat/IRC/etc, resulting in a number of rumors being spread. The most popular rumor was that a rollback would be necessary due to some sort of cheating, with the numbers flying around going up to that of a 6 week rollback. Of course, this made players go nuts, and probably gave a good laugh to those who made up the rumors. Most of all, it shows how important communication with customers is.
I know a few Eve players but I didn't get on board myself. With all the notable controversies I find it astonishing it's still in business. I suppose if the game play is addictive in the flavor that is right for you, you'll put up with a lot.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
But does it run linux?
They have a history of problems including charging credit cards when people cancelled their game over and over and over... I got burned by them financially so I changed my CC details and never went back EVER, wont ever again. Its unfortunate as I was getting into the game. This was a time bomb waiting to happen since they pissed so many people off. Will affected customers by this outtage get any compensation, I doubt it. The sooner people cancel in droves the better, give them a very painful message. FINANCIALLY as they did to us.
http://www.rense.com/general79/wdx1.htm
CCP will quietly admit that there was some data theft.
You are full of SHIT, EVE online might aswell be a MUD where you log in, change some settings, and wait for your stats to climb as you type in `mine' and `dock' now and then. In the mean while you could watch a slide show of pictures made by the hubble telescope to get your graphics fix. There is no `grinding' like in other MMORPG but there is `mining' which is a hell lot more boring and not to mention the amount of time you need to wait (and pay) for some stat to go up so you can continue playing, i mean mining.
The people are staying in droves.
It is a common racket for companies to have their CC charging dept. completely separate from the customer service wing which handles your account. The reason for this is that so if you forget you have the account, it eventually gets closed down due to dormancy -- but your CC still gets charged like clockwork!
The idea is that because you originally consented to charge the card, you can't call in the fraud dept.; since you simply let the account lapse, they can claim plausible error. In circumstances like this, you are not likely to be able to document exactly *when* you "formally" revoked the agreement, which makes it more likely that the customer will simply ask to end the charges going forward -- while they keep the extra charges. They are *banking* on that; everything is set up this way on purpose. Every month that someone forgets, is GRAVY for them!
Phase 2 goes as follows: when you ask the CS rep to have them stop the charges, they can't do a thing -- the CC's are handled by a completely separate department! They tell you to fax your CC number directly to a number for that dept. which they give you. Of course, your credit card company will tell you don't EVER do that! This setup is simply to slow you down in fixing the issue. I had this happen to me three times with two places.
Wait, Mr. AC, that's more incidents than places! Why, yes, it is!
Last year I had to hold a conference call between my CC provider, myself and the CS rep of "PrivacyGuard" an identify-theft "protection" outfit which had been charging my card yearly since 2000 when I first enrolled (a mistake, I know) while their main department no longer had any idea I existed (so I couldn't use the service if I wanted)! All three of us agreed that the most expeditious thing to do was to terminate the CC# and get a new one. Well, a year later, guess who found the new # and charged it again? They can't maintain the info I would need to use their service, but damn it all to hell before they lose track of a credit card!!! I'm going to have to terminate that card outright let I go through this *again* next year.
The other outfit that operates this way is Match.com, by the way. (I am engaged now, but no thanks to them.)
The moral of the story? If you have the option, do NOT use recurring CC charges for *any* services! Prepay for a year, ask to be billed, use your bank's online bill pay, or use some other arrangement where each payment occurs at your own initiative, not theirs.
The forums and such don't necessarily run off the same servers. That's a stupid assumption.
They officially stated that since they didn't know the extent of the breach, they took EVERYTHING down. Including the website, forums, etc.
Of course, this wouldn't be Slashdot without wild unfounded speculation based on the fact that, as a geek, you are God and know everything.