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Live 'Hacking' Clarified as Pretexting 51
1up reports on a clarification of last week's Xbox Live security scare. Though there are no technical problems with the service, there is a service problem with the service: account information was obtained via pretexting. Essentially, social engineers called up Xbox Live tech support and lied, saying they were users of certain accounts. Thanks to the sloppy training and privacy consciousness of Live's customer service operators, information was given out that allowed these pretexters onto accounts. "That probably means calling in to deal with customer support about the nitty gritty of your Xbox Live account will become both much more secure and potentially a bit more time-consuming and annoying. That may be the necessary price for full security, although as long as we're dealing with humans (and information that can slip into others' hands), there's sure to be the occasional case of successful pre-texting."
People (Score:3, Insightful)
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'Pretexting' again!? (Score:5, Insightful)
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On occasion (Score:5, Funny)
Re:'Pretexting' again!? (Score:4, Insightful)
I was thinking "identity theft".
Lying or Fraud, not pretexting (Score:4, Insightful)
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Though I can see where the word came from - "under the pretext of
Re:Lying or Fraud, not pretexting (Score:5, Informative)
Lying and Fraud are broad terms, pretexting adds clarity as to the specifics of the crime. It is the same as saying Wire Fraud or Check Fraud.
It does not need to be either or, it can be both. Your suggestion only adds a nonconstructive, ambiguous element that will only serve to confuse, not clarify.
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Re:Lying or Fraud, not pretexting (Score:4, Insightful)
Lying isn't (necessarily) illegal. Pretexting is. Not equivalent.
I think "pretexting" is a really stupid term, too, but it is in fact a legal term (ie. it's the term officially used by the FTC) that most succinctly describes the crime. You can gripe that it's a dumb word, but not that all of these terms mean the same thing.
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If you don't think that Pretexting or Social Engineering falls within the bounds of a geeks vocabulary I think you need to brush up on your nerd history; start with Kevin Mitnick [wikipedia.org].
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You might as well visit France and complain that the French aren't speaking English.
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International
Zeitgeist
That help? GIZ! How about that?
It's a technical legal term, not a 'geek' word. Astonishingly, I even knew what it meant before I replied, but I have enough qualms about the manipulative usage of language(it was used here because somebody absorbed it somewhat poorly) that I felt the need to comment about it. Sorry.
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Well, I'll agree with that at least... then again, please remember this is the same site that just posted an article with the headline "Siberia - The Next Silicon Valley?"
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How about a situation where a lie isn't a false pretext? They exist (look up the definition for pretext), and this is where the term 'pretexting' is less ambiguous than 'lying'.
Re:Pretensing? (Score:2)
Then why isn't it called "pretensing?" That'd make more sense, but it doesn't sound as high-tech and scary as "pretexting," so the mainstream media outlets won't have anything to do with it.
Nobody says "information was gained under false pretexts," in spite of pretext [reference.com] and pretense [reference.com] having almost identical definitions.
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Zero won, too. (Score:2, Funny)
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Hmm (Score:3, Interesting)
Penalties? (Score:1)
What sort of penalties could they face? None, I would think.
Forget all that online multiplayer stuff, it's easier to have real friends.
Wish you could change email.... (Score:2)
Pretexting? (Score:1)
Thanks for the clarification. (Score:2)
as opposed to : Dead 'Hacking' Clarified as PostTexting.
A Monetary Interest? (Score:1)
In this case, as with others to maybe a lesser extent, there is a monetary attachment involved. You have paid a $50.00 fee(not sure what the gold membership fee is) to access and play these games online. You have also invested time, which may not be di
outsourcing at it's best (Score:2)
Well, of course. (Score:4, Insightful)
You're SO right. No American call centre operators would EVER fall for such ruses. It's those darned gullible Indians.
"Pretexting"? *sigh* (Score:2)
I wish HP would just hurry up and patent "pretexting" so we can all start using a different term.
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pity the world at large weren't interested in *ahem* computer security in the early 90s.. except for the occasional supervillain whistling down telephone lines in order to start WW3.
great... (Score:2)
I wonder if the precogs saw this one coming.
Impersonate (Score:3, Interesting)
-l
Microsoft Points (Score:1)