Add Bethesda to the growing list of game companies experiencing the embarrassment of a hacking attack and loss of user data.

Bethesda has confirmed that this past weekend they were the victims of an intrusion which may have led to the theft of some user data.  However, the company states that this data does not include financial or credit card information, only user's names, email addresses, and passwords.  So, you know the drill by now. If you've signed up on a Bethesda website you might want to go and change that stuff.

Bethesda's statement reads as follows.

"Over the past weekend, a hacker group attempted an unlawful intrusion of our websites to gain access to data," the company said.

"We believe we have taken appropriate action to protect our data against these attacks. While no personal financial information or credit card data was obtained, the hackers may have gained access to some user names, email addresses, and/or passwords.

"As a precaution, we recommend that all our fans immediately change passwords on all our sites - including our community forums and the statistics site we maintain for Brink players.

"If your username/email address/password is similar to what you use on other sites, we recommend changing the password at those sites as well," it added.

"As we don't know what further plans the hackers may have, we suggest that you keep an eye out for suspicious emails and account activity.

"We regret any inconvenience that these attacks on us cause for you. These attacks will be evaluated to determine if there are any additional protections we might take that would be prudent."

Since the attacks which caused the prolonged outage of the PSN network, game companies have found themselves to be easy targets for hackers who are either trying to make a statement or are simply doing it for enjoyment.  Unless they start making heavy investments into cyber-security, I don't see this problem going away anytime soon.

Comments

  • Avatar
    RedAma131
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Man, hackers be hacking all over the place. It does suck that game companies are easy to hack.

  • Avatar
    Sickbrain
    13 years, 5 months ago

    There's an Olympic size pool on the roof of Bethesda building and it just leaked.

  • Avatar
    MilkyAlien
    13 years, 5 months ago

    I find myself in the awkward position of hating something I cannot see, touch, smell or communicate with. Though I concede there is a faint smell of shit surrounding the whole ordeal.

  • Avatar
    BlackOracle
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Man, when people hacked Sony I couldn't care less since I don't play PS3, but Bethesda? Come on, Internet, that's just dumb.

  • Avatar
    tenkail
    13 years, 5 months ago

    So here's my thoughts on this:
    1. Of all the places, they had to attack places that affects us individuals and our gaming. I bet millions would love to shove these hackers up the others arse right now.

    2. "hackers who are either trying to make a statement or are simply doing it for enjoyment," this be the worst method and hobby.

    3. Some responsible for the PSN outage were tracked down and busted, when will they learn?

    4. If I was a hacker I'd choose a smaller prey, not the entire horde and open up torrents of shit storms.
    もう~

  • Avatar
    Dessert Punk
    13 years, 5 months ago

    I am a member of the Beth Forums. I am surprised and pissed. Fortunately they decided not to release the user info stating "We actually like Bethesda" I guess they did it for the "lulz" unfortunately they are probably the only ones laughing.

  • Avatar
    Phoenix
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Gawker, Sony, SOE, Nintendo, Bethesda. I have 4/1 odds on Activision being next :P

  • Avatar
    VagrantHige
    13 years, 5 months ago

    There seems to be a mass rally mentality among some hacking groups. Don't misunderstand me, it's hardly likely that there are the same culprits behind all the attacks over the past few months but there does seem to be a collective confidence increase amongst the hacking community as a whole. It just seems with every group that succeeds we are seeing other becoming more brazen and trying it themselves. Eventually someones gonna get sloppy and really get themselves in deep water at some point.

  • Avatar
    FPDragoon
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Damned shut-in losers need to get a life. This isn't "sticking it to the man" or "making a statement." They're just causing unnecessary damage for the sake of getting their jollies off. They're sick, pathetic people, and I hope they get what they deserve.

  • Avatar
    Aged Milk
    13 years, 5 months ago

    This is going to be a trend for a while. Then something serious is going to happen. Then there's going to be overblown Federal and multinational regulations imposed on the Web.

    Tolerating even the hackers who truly are just trying to make statements opens backdoors to more malicious behavior. In the end they're going to hurt the general public more that they'll aid them through their pseudo Robin Hood pretense.

  • Avatar
    kd_battletoad
    13 years, 5 months ago

    I think its about time for every big game companies to change their security protocol instead of waiting. I know that will cost them a lot of money but compare the lost if it happens,

    Also, I'm surprised that EA didnt get hacked by now...because you know, their ''Online pass'' are BS.

  • Avatar
    SomethingSnappy
    13 years, 5 months ago

    sucks

  • Avatar
    Comradebearjew
    13 years, 5 months ago

    That kind of sucks, but is a statement that everyone in general needs better security.

  • Avatar
    AdjacentKitten
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Why Bethesda? God knows they're one of the few developers left in existence that aren't fucking up the game industry. There has to be a reason behind all this hacking. x-x

  • Avatar
    fullmetalkira
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Either machines have reached and surpassed the intelligence of human beings.....

    Or there are assholes with some sort of stupid agenda.

  • Avatar
    Necrodancer
    13 years, 5 months ago

    Free copies of Daggerfall in a month?
    Pwease Befesda :3

  • Avatar
    Syko Shadow
    13 years, 5 months ago

    This whole fiasco with multiple gaming sites getting hacked has definitely colored my perceptions of hackers. It's really hard to see them as anything other than annoying, entitled nerds when they're intentionally causing grief for the gaming industry for no reason other than their own mental retard version of amusement.

  • Avatar
    Zenbaito
    13 years, 5 months ago

    I don't know if its me but I've noticed an increase in hacks on to big companies ever since the hacked PSN. It mite be me getting in to the topic because I don't want to get hacked and thats how I noticed the hacks. Well damn its getting in to the age of hacks