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15-May-2011 14:19

‘Cloud’ security worries.. again!

Amazon ‘Cloud Servers' Used in Sony PlayStation Network Attack - Hmmmm...

The recently reported hacking & breached security at Sony and access gained to sensitive data for over 77 million subscribers has again raised serious concerns about Cloud-based security issues.

The ‘Sony’ hackers used Amazon's web services cloud to launch the attack - Bloomberg News reported.

Reports are emerging (source: bloomberg.net) that Amazon’s Web Services cloud- computing unit was used by hackers in last month’s attack against Sony online entertainment systems..

The attackers, using an alias, rented a server from Amazon's EC2 service and started the hacking attack from there.

Apparently, anonymous reports say that ‘the account has now been closed’.

Unsurprisingly, neither Sony nor Amazon directors would comment on the claims.

Bloomberg doesn't say how Amazon's cloud service was used to mount the attack.

If the report is correct, it wouldn't be the first time it's been used by hackers.

It does show how easy it may be for hackers to use the “cloud” to carry out serious online thefts of personal information.

This attack has involved the personal accounts of more than 100 million Sony customers & according to a Sony report was, “a very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber attack.”

The report continued that, the hackers didn’t just break into the Amazon servers, but they signed up for the regular service as any legitimate company would & could but used fake information.

It again brings into question the role of Amazon Web Services & associated concerns many have voiced over the security of computing services delivered via others’ remote servers - normally referred to as ‘cloud computing’.

Worrying? What do you think?

Norman

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Comments
Contributed by George Cooper on 23-May-2011 21:54
Thank you for this blog

Food for thought! :()
Contributed by Andrew Crook on 15-May-2011 18:14
‎‎Ian R McAllister, hacking is the art of using something in a way that it wasn't intended to be.
Its because the term has been over used by the media and journalism regarding security violations that it has become a dirty word and stereotyped.
Contributed by Andrew Crook on 15-May-2011 18:13
The real issue with cloud platforms is VPS you are sharing connections and machines with others. Total isolation is best
Contributed by Ty "Mac-Head" Tyson on 15-May-2011 17:58

The half-baked unlicensed efforts from Amazon and Google are an embarrassment.

Thank goodness Apple are going to show the world how it should be done in June.

End-user experience will be the number one priority with iCloud - powered by a state of the art 500000 sq. ft. data centre.

Not long now...
Contributed by Andrew Crook on 15-May-2011 17:57
'zombie' rather :-)
Contributed by Ian R McAllister on 15-May-2011 17:54
I'm with Sun Tzu on "security" in that there isn't any really, its just a question of time that you buy before the castle walls fall/it becomes public.
When you consider that most of the best systems testers were at one time hackers, or at least learnt fom them, hacking goes from a philosophy to an art and back to politics
Contributed by Steven Healey on 15-May-2011 17:53
Lol .
No fear of that Ian R McAllister , I am 100% anti-hacking , even after reading the Hackers handbook (my sons bought it) . It is just that the use of brand names to instill fear is irksome
Contributed by Ian R McAllister on 15-May-2011 17:53
Hears thudding of large boots down coridoor, as Steven Healey disapers into a blacked-out Merc van and is driven off to an unknown destination, after public admission of "Asda price" level hacking.... ;)

Note: wise man say - if you can access it, it can be hacked. Just a question of how long it takes the type writer equipped monkeys to do it, really. Hence assume everything can be hacked, and that it doesn't really matter if you wear belt and braces, its just a question of when your trousers fall down, not if!
Contributed by Norman Feiner on 15-May-2011 17:52
You do to retain anonymity...
Contributed by Steven Healey on 15-May-2011 17:52
You can hack any website using a server located in your back bedroom , no need to buy everything from Amazon
Contributed by Norman Feiner on 15-May-2011 17:51
Unsure about that Mike.
Contributed by Mike Gordon on 15-May-2011 17:51
Security worries about data in clouds are generally raised by those who also keep their heads in them IMHO
Contributed by Massimo Luciani on 15-May-2011 15:05
Everything about cloud computing seems to have become very trendy and hyped but that's because it's convenient to some big cloud solutions suppliers, not necerrarily to their customers.
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