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Revisiting the Infamous Sony BMG Rootkit Scandal 10 Years Later (networkworld.com)
alphadogg writes: Hackers really have had their way with Sony over the past year, taking down its Playstation Network last Christmas Day and creating an international incident by exposing confidential data from Sony Pictures Entertainment in response to The Interview. Some say all this is karmic payback for what's become known as a seminal moment in malware history: Sony BMG sneaking rootkits into music CDs 10 years ago in the name of digital rights management. 'In a sense, it was the first thing Sony did that made hackers love to hate them,' says Bruce Schneier, CTO for Resilient Systems. Sony's scheme was revealed on Halloween of 2005, and was followed by a botched response, issuing and reissuing of rootkit removal tools, and lawsuits. There are object lessons from the incident which are relevant today.
It contains priceless discussions, too! Often more technical and polite than most forums..
In case you missed them, here is some coverage of the Sony BMG Rootkit and a few later articles which reference it:
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/essay...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
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https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
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https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
https://www.schneier.com/blog/...
http://it.slashdot.org/story/0...
http://games.slashdot.org/stor...
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/...
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Bleh. Wasn't the first time enough?
Not for them. They did it again in a USB drive. http://techreport.com/news/130...
If you're going to snark, it helps to be right. Sony doesn't own Download.com, something you could've confirmed for yourself in seconds.
Download.com is a C|Net created site owned by C|NET parent company CBS Interactive, which in turn is owned by CBS Corp, which in turn is owned by National Amusements. Finally, National Amusements' majority owner is owned by Sumner Redstone (aka Rothstein) and family.
I just posted this the other day, but is relevant and bears repeating:
More than a few years ago, Sony put rootkits on some of their music CD's. It was abhorrently wrong, they knew it, they did it anyway. That was the last straw for me. It came after SOE released Everquest II incomplete and broken. It came after proprietary audio formats (strong push against MP3) and proprietary media. It was during a time of suing grandmothers for music downloading. It was during a time of Sony's clear (ongoing?) campaign against its customers and fans.
Since that time, I have not purchased Sony music, will not buy Sony consumer electronics, and won't even see a Sony pictures movie. I boycott ALL Sony related products and services, and have for the last ten years. People need to wake up and exercise the only power they have by voting with their wallets. We have to keep these companies terrified that such missteps will lead to their ruin, or else sleep in the bed we made without complaint.
FYI - Here's a pretty comprehensive list of Sony's subsidiaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
Honey, the meatloaf is ready, come out if the basement before it gets cold.
Love, Mom
It's irrelevant to the discussion, however.
Yes, right... Like you made any difference. When you boycott a giant like Sony, you're just one of an incredibly small number who will make no impact whatsoever.
Perhaps you've missed Sony's financial situation. Pre-rootkit I had a Sony TV; camcorder; reciever; digital camera; high end artisan monitor (21 inch - used at 2048x1536 when LCDs were 1024x768); SVHS; 100 disc CD changer... I was the decision maker for purchasing computer equipment at work, and had been buying Sony products in the mix. Since that time? My career has taken off allowing for much greater toy spending. $10k+ in photo gear, but no Sony. There are no Sony TV/entertainment products in the new house, another $10k+ loss for Sony; 65 computer systems at work, with no Sony systems or peripherals. I'm asked for recommendations all the time, and never suggest Sony. Sony's rootkit cost them a minimum of $50k in direct sales, plus lost referrals. I had preferentially bought Sony before then.
There are so many folks doing the same that it has added up, and Sony's bottom line has suffered.
Technically the disc is a compact disc, they don't meet the standard of an audio CD-DA which the red book defines.
If you think someone isn't free to have a different definition of "freedom" you may be a tyrant.