Gaming console developers strive to ensure that their devices and networks are secure and reliable. Therefore, a constant update to your online accounts remains the safest way to prevent hacker attempts from paralyzing your gaming activities. Whether you can get hacked through Xbox or not, we understand it is a matter of concern that requires your attention.
So, can you get hacked through Xbox? Xbox accounts can get hacked easily if the password protection on the Xbox account is poor especially if the password is easy to guess or can easily be brute force attacked using a dictionary attack.
Once a hacker as compromised an Xbox account, they have access to the information stored in the account including the personal information of the account holder, including their name, address and sometimes even their date of birth.
The Xbox account will also have financial information such as the credit card number, but this will not be available to the hacker, as only the last four digits of the account are stored. So, the hacker can use the credit card information to purchase items like additional games on the account, but they cannot steal the credit card number and use it elsewhere.
The good news is that Microsoft through their monitoring can alert you on suspicious account usage patterns like unauthorized person access and guide you on the way towards recovering and securing your account.
The Xbox doesn’t have a built in firewall and relies on the owner setting up a firewall on their router. This allows hackers to try to attack Xboxes that are not protected by a firewall and as the Xbox operating system, that is the software used by the Xbox to function has a large attack surface due to it’s size. The hacker can try to see if there are any vulnerabilities in the Xbox operating system they could exploit and take advantage of.
Can You Get Hacked on a PS4 or PS5?
The number of PlayStation account owners is increasing by the day, and so is the risk of hacking. Losing your account to hackers is a big deal as you lose control over your credentials, including credit card details; hence, unprecedented losses. If you suspect your PlayStation is hacked, you should take immediate action to avoid losing your account completely to the online black market.
Using a PS4 or PS5 requires you to have a gaming account, which can be hacked. The PS5 is not exempted from the hacking scene despite it being the newest in the market. Users attach these accounts with their credit, debit cards, and personal information that enable them to pay taxes, make online orders, watch movies and play video games. This makes their accounts attract hackers to enjoy these benefits and sell them illegally to other persons.
Being the latest innovation in PlayStation, minimal information is known about the PS5, especially on its vulnerabilities. However, this does not prevent it from being hacked. Since the launch of PS5, we know that its updatelist XML format is similar to that of PS4. It also uses firmware 2.25, and if you want to crack your PS5, it is advisable to check the new firmware for any bugs. As sometimes, a new update can be rushed out and not thoroughly tested, so it makes sense to check PlayStation forums to see if the new update is safe.
Once the update is deemed safe to use, then the PlayStation can be updated to the new firmware. The only caveat with this approach is if the current firmware has an exploitable bug then it makes sense to update the current firmware to the new firmware which has a patch for the exploitable bug.
The PS5 browser is another open-source for hackers to check the vulnerabilities before hacking. They can use it to load malicious web pages like in PS4 and successfully hack it. Hackers constantly dig out for open source software that PS5 uses to save them from going through reverse engineering.
So far, Sony has revealed that the PS5 uses Cairo, Webkit, FFMpeg, and Eigen. Since Webkit has in the recent past improved its security, PS5 is less likely to be prone to hacking than PS4. Therefore, these features leave the hardware as the easiest way to crack its security once disclosed. However, this may take longer, but it does not mean that you should not be careful as a PS5 user. Other tools hackers are trying to check on the PS5 include PS5 PUP files, camera internals, and bugs.
While limited information, among other obstacles, proves effective against hacking the PS5, Sony is also developing restrictions to secure the PS5 accounts. For instance, if you try to purchase another PlayStation account yet you have over fifty logins in your account in one region, the system will classify this as a hacker attempt.
The result will be a ban on your account and console. This way, the hacked account remains protected from further abuse. There are still ongoing discussions on this matter, but if you want to be safe, then it is worth noting that sharing your account with more people is not a good idea.
Whether you are using a PS4 or PS5, you should note that hackers are usually interested in gathering information on the user to use it for their benefit while the user is still unaware. The hackers steal your IP using console sniffers application. These console sniffers are commonly shared in PlayStation parties, which is why you should never join random parties. The hackers send the console sniffers as music or a familiar link and if you are not careful, copying it to your browser grants them access to your account.
Hacking can be costly if you do not act fast. Worse off, there is no guarantee of full compensation after incurring losses from hacking. Customers in various online forums complain of the poor handling of the hackers by their service providers, including banning of their accounts and payment of fraudulent charges. This is especially if the hacker makes more money with your account than your service provider should refund.
Given the consequences of hacking, as a PS4 or PS5 user, you should be able to tell when your account is hacked. The most obvious way to do this is if you notice mysterious charges. By mysterious, we mean any transactions, usually big transactions that you did not do yourself.
You can review your transactions by checking the transaction history on your PlayStation account management page. Sony will notify their users once they notice any abnormal transactions, enabling them to take action before it is too late. However, it is your responsibility to monitor your transactions constantly.
Another way to tell if your account is hacked is to check the games and apps on your screen. Generally, only the games and apps that you download should be visible. If you notice more games that you did not download, it is a signal that someone else is accessing your account. You should check with the persons who can access your account to confirm if they are responsible before ruling this as a hacker activity.
PS4 hacking is common during the weekend since PSN support is closed. If you suspect your PS4 is hacked, you should immediately change your password. You should also change the password of any other account using the same credentials to secure them.
If you are logged out, try logging in to your account and if you are denied access, check your email to see whether there is a message alerting you that your credentials have changed. If so, then you have been hacked. Another indicator of hacking is the deactivation of your 2-step verification code.
If you are unable to access your account, you should contact your support for assistance. Before that, you can try signing out of your account to verify that you have been signed out. If you have attached your credit card details to your account and money is taken from your account, notify the support team so that they can cancel the pre-approved purchases. You can then contact your bank and request them to stop any transactions from your account to prevent further losses.
Some hackers will change your credentials and relaying this information to customer support will help recover your account. You should be careful to speak directly to legit customer service since you will be giving them sensitive information. If you already received a message alerting you of this change and did not click on the link, it is evident that a hacker was making the changes and not you, and you should let your support know.
During this recovery, PSN will lock your account for two to ten days. After the expiry of this duration, you can call support again, and you will receive an email prompting you to create a new email and password to recover your PS4 account.
While recovering your PS4 account, be cautious of representatives that claim to be unable to help you out. If you encounter such, be persistent with the calls until you get one who will guide you through the above process.
How Do You Secure Your PS4 or PS5 Account?
Given that a hacker can access your PS4 or PS5 account, you should secure your account to prevent this occurrence.
You can secure your PS4 Or PS5 account by creating a strong password, regularly checking your transactions, setting up parental controls to prevent children from making unauthorized purchases, and avoiding phishing emails asking for your PlayStation password.
While these methods can secure your account, they are not effective against the hacker. To keep your hacker at bay, you should boost your account’s security features by enabling the 2 step verification, setting your PS4 or PS5 messages to private, regular change of password, limiting personal information, and using the second answers.
The two-step verification enables you to protect your account by making it difficult for your hacker to access your personal information. You can activate this feature through your service provider’s website.
To set up this security feature on your PlayStation account, go to settings, PlayStation network, account information, security, and click enable two-step verification. This verification will then send a text message to your recovery phone number anytime someone attempts to log in to your account.
As an online gamer, it is normal to get invites to join parties. While these parties make gaming interesting, they could be loopholes that hackers use to scam you and access your account. To remain safe, you should only accept invites from the people you know. To stop invites from random people, you can change your message settings to private.
This setting allows only your friends to message you. Setting your messages to private also saves you from accidental clicks on messages from random people that could potentially hack your account. To turn on this setting, go to settings, then account management, and set to no one on your message privacy settings.
Another way you can secure your PlayStation account is through constant change of passwords. This technique also works with your social media accounts. Generally, hackers are one step ahead, and dodging them through regular password change will keep them at bay.
When changing your password, avoid simple and predictable passwords such as your name as these are easy to hack. You can also invest in a password manager to keep your account safe. This program generates a sixteen-digit password with symbols, making hacking difficult. A password manager also enables you to save your passwords; hence, no need to struggle to master them.
Limiting your details online, especially on social media, is another way to keep your PS4 and PS5 accounts safe. With the internet offering many solutions to livelihoods, including social interactions, and a shopping tool, individuals are normalizing saving most of their details online, including their date of birth and pet names on social media. While this seems normal and okay, it serves the hackers a great deal by giving them clues on your potential passwords.
Finally, to keep your account safe, you can utilize the security question features. These include the name of your mother’s maiden or primary school teacher. Usually, most people are open with the answers to these questions, putting their accounts at risk. To be safe, answer these questions with random or wrong answers.
You can even use object names rather than the names of people to make it difficult for a hacker to surpass this verification. Since it is easy to forget random names, you can note these answers somewhere safe and use them when recovering or updating your account security features.
Wrap Up
Hackers continuously try to manipulate innovations, with any device using software being their primary target. The Xbox is one such device that you can get hacked through. Usually, the hackers are interested in your details, including personal information, credit, and debit card details, creating the need for you to secure your account. The PS4 and PS5 are not exempted from hacking, and hackers will access your device using malicious links.
To stay safe, you should minimize the number of people using your credentials online so that you can track your account activity. If you cannot log in to your account or you have received an email notifying you of unauthorized access to your account, the chances are that you are hacked.
You should immediately change your password or contact customer support for assistance on account recovery. Afterward, continue protecting your account with online techniques to prevent future losses.
