[Crybertrance]

Is it even possible??

To clarify, is it possible to actually hack a computer on a game server? Or plant viruses and steal data? Some peeps were saying that its is *very* easy to hack a computer on a game network and practically anyone can do it...

PS. Im no talking about any century old online game here too, Im talking about games like BF3, etc...

Please discuss..

[Nuke]

i dont know what kind of computer games they had back in 1912, but the game itself is irrelevant. its the fact that your computer (and your games servers) are on the internet that opens your computer (and the games server's) up to attacks. granted your pc is likely to be less secure than the game servers. they can (and have) still be hacked by anyone with the time and the skill. i remember this kinda thing happened to kol awhile back, somone hacked in and stole a bunch of password hashes. some games also have scripting systems which can be used to run malicious code, hopefully the game developer will secure these systems to some degree.

[jr2]

Sure, it's easy.  Provided there is a hole in the security.  Why do you think games are updated so often?  Someone found a hole (usually it's just something simple like they can cause another players' computer to crash and reboot, or something like that) and the maintainers of the game patched it.  Same deal with Windows, your security software, other software, etc.

I'm not an expert, but it's like fire: you need heat, fuel, and oxygen.  Remove one and there is no fire.  For them to hack your computer, there must be a security hole - first they need to get through your router's firewall.  If it's a hole in the game, that's easy enough, as the port is already open for the game to use, so they just communicate with the game, and the traffic is allowed.  Then the question becomes, what does the exploit allow the hacker to do?  Download and execute malicious code?  OK, now we have more issues: the user's security software should attempt to block that.  Maybe the hacker has figured out a new way to bypass all known anti-virus definitions and heuristics?  OK, now what? His virus has to get past the firewall (assuming he wants to steal your info and report back to him) - the game engine is allowed, yes, but not this new piece of code.  So maybe he either tells the firewall to allow his program?  Now you have to figure out how to get past the Windows UAC.  Maybe he doesn't want your info, he just wants to wreck your system?  OK, but now he needs access to system/program files and settings.  UAC again.

Not to say that it isn't easy... that's just what you have to go through.  Problem is, is when someone smart enough to do all of that releases their work in the form of a program or script, allowing punks to download their automated system for hacking users' systems.  Until the next patch, anyways.  And also, if you just search and aren't smart, many of the software 'tools' or hackers' 'kits' are actually viruses and trojans designed to hack the would-be hackers' computer!!  Ha, ha, (because the punk will allow the UAC and disable anti-virus / firewall, not knowing that the threat being detected isn't just a gun pointed at his intended target, it is also pointed at him).  People like this are called "script kiddies", basically meaning they don't know how to hack themselves, but are smart enough to use automated hacker tools, (and hopefully smart enough not to fall victim to the above traps, otherwise they become a script kitty at the local chinese joint ).

Anyways, I'm not even a script kiddie (never wanted to bad enough), so, this is all the info I know from just hanging around the internet.  Keep your OS and programs up to date with the latest patches.  Keep your Anti-virus up-to-date, and keep your firewall on except for any specific exceptions that you need. 

[Nuke]

thats why viruses are so easy to detect. code reuse. now if you had a real professional cracker who people pay real money to get into someone's system who develops a custom virus consisting of original code to do the job, yea not very many systems have the security to stop that. of course unless your a mega corporation, a government, or a member of organized crime, a terrorist, etc, you will probibly not be subject to such an attack, and will only need to worry about script kiddies, who can be thwarted by antivirus, or a firewall.

[Dragon]

It's like with home alarm systems. Most of them can be disabled or fooled by a professional burglar, and those that can ward them off are expensive. But a professional thief with such skills won't be breaking into a random country house, but into a millionaire's mansion, or an expensive shop. A petty thief may try, but he doesn't have the skill to get around a standard alarm.

In general, most security systems provide enough protection against anything an average person can be threatened by, and most cases of normal computers being hacked come from users doing something dumb and thus rendering themselves easy targets for any guy who just read a website about hacking. Somebody who hacks an MMO server wouldn't be looking to get into individual peoples' computers, but rather steal their personal data to sell it, get their passwords (all too often used for other, important things) and steal any info they could use to get into their bank accounts.

So, as long as you use diverse passwords (for important things, at least. If you use the same password for, say, all FS related fora, this shouldn't be a problem unless the hacker in question is also a troll), your personal info is either missing of complete Bravo Sierra and you're not paying the MMO a penny, you should be pretty safe.