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Xbox hacking victim tells her story, fights for others
In the current rash of Xbox Live hacking stories, Susan Taylor's might be the most interesting. Like many Xbox Live users in recent months, Taylor one day found that her Xbox Live account had been hijacked, and hundreds of dollars in Microsoft Points and Xbox Live subscriptions had been purchased, draining money directly from her linked bank account. And, like many others, the following days were consumed by calls with Microsoft support, attempting to get her stolen money returned and her Xbox Live account safely reinstated. Her story has many other wrinkles, including a second massive purchase, despite Microsoft's word that her account had been locked, and her own detective work into discovering exactly who had stolen her account and why. Suffice it to say that Taylor's story has a happy ending -- no doubt thanks to a hefty amount of public exposure -- though it certainly wasn't an easy process. Inspired by her experiences, Taylor has founded HackedOnXbox.com, on which her story is recounted and others are invited to share their own. We fully suggest you read Taylor's account of events, and don't forget that Joystiq is still investigating the issue as well. Be sure to contact us if you have any information.
Stepto on Xbox Live hacker: 'He's not trying to help'
"He got an old cell phone [number] of mine, and yeah, he called it occasionally," Xbox Live director of policy and enforcement Stephen "Stepto" Toulouse told us of the contact he'd had with the apparent hacker known as "Predator," who took control of Toulouse's Xbox Live account this past weekend. "I can play you a voice message if you want, to show you the nature of his contact with us." What followed was ... not suitable for printing. Expletives and derogatory terms were all that we could make out in the mess of a message. Multiple voices could be heard, too. "I have a six minute one where he and his friend discuss all the different ways they're gonna have sex with my wife." Not exactly what Predator characterized as "reaching out" to Microsoft to offer his help resolving the security issues he's claimed to have exploited. "I would say 'reaching out for contact' is an extremely generous phrase," Toulouse said. "Most of the stuff that he leaves on there is flat out harassment. It's not contact. He's not trying to help or do anything. He's mostly just insulting me. And I get that from time to time. It's just the nature of my role. The kids sometimes try to go after me -- it's not that big a deal." In terms of what actually happened, Toulouse was quick to point out that his Xbox Live account wasn't "hacked" per se, but rather his personal site's web host failed to protect his information. The actual issue, he said, is social engineering (Predator's ability to manipulate the web host in order to reset Toulouse's password) -- an issue that "no one has solved."
Xbox Live hacker: 'All accounts are open' to attacks [update]
He only had access for a limited period, but a self-proclaimed "hacker" managed to finagle his way into Xbox Live policy enforcement lead Stephen Toulouse's Xbox Live Gold account over the weekend. The hacker calls himself "Predator," and has created a six-minute video showing off his exploits. Predator allegedly used "social engineering techniques" and didn't employ any "programs," he told Joystiq this afternoon. Predator was able to alter Xbox Live account information after resetting Toulouse's password, all through Toulouse's personal website host, Network Solutions. But despite his actions, "Predator" says he didn't go do it for malicious reasons. "I'm simply letting them know I'm willing to help them secure accounts from future hackers," he explained. "All accounts are open for hacking." That last statement rings especially true in light of last year's hacking of Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb's Xbox Live account. And this isn't his first success, Predator claims. "I've done many illegal things on Xbox -- I've taken Trixie360's account, 15 Original Gamertags, 4 H3 Pro's [Halo 3 pros], and a few randoms," he told us. He also notes in his video (which has been pulled) that he's had "over 35" console bans, and points out that, as a result, Toulouse "had it coming, man." Predator, however, remains unconcerned about his own fate. He notes after explaining his past exploits that nothing has happened to him so far. Predator says his offer to help with Xbox Live security stands. Update: We spoke with Stephen Toulouse, who offered his comments on the incident. Additionally, the video after the break has been removed as it is no longer available on YouTube.
