- Hackers have breached Electronic Arts' cybersecurity
- They then proceeded to steal 780 gigabytes of source data and put it on a black market
- Luckily, players' personal data is still safe
Hackers have assaulted EA and stolen a significant chunk of source code. The company assures that the damage isn't fatal.
EA Hit by a Daring Cyber Assault
It seems like every day, and there is more news of some illegal activity in the gaming industry. Sometimes it is match-fixing. Others it is cheating. This time, however, the wrongdoers went big.
Electronic Arts have just suffered a cyber attack that breached the company's defenses. The attack managed to take several valuable pieces of the source code data for various EA games. VICE's Motherboard quickly started tracking the perpetrators.
The attackers successfully stole FIFA 2021's matchmaking server data. Motherboard the found it put for sale on some suspicious sites. The hackers announced that “You (the buyer) have full capability of exploiting on all EA services.” As if now EA's servers are still up, so the data isn't yet used for nefarious purposes.
Additionally, the criminals stole the source code for the Frostbite engine and all tools needed to operate it. It is unknown what it will be used for, but it is the same engine on which EA's upcoming title Battlefield 2042 is based.
The hackers also managed to get some valuable EA framework and software development kit data.
The Company Will Repair the Damage and Prosecute the Hackers
The total damage was evaluated at 780 gigabytes. EA confirmed the attack did occur and what was stolen in it. However, the company reassured fans that everything would be okay: the company's servers are still up, and EA believes what won't affect the business. The company promises fans that no player data was leaked to the evildoers.
EA will now proceed to bolster its defenses and strike back. The company is already planning its countermove.
“We are actively working with law enforcement officials and other experts as part of this ongoing criminal investigation,” a spokesperson told VICE.
It is saddening to see that there are so many people who are willing to exploit cyberspace for their own benefit. Sometimes it can be annoying and classless but otherwise rather harmless, like someone stream-sniping in a non-tournament game. Others, it can be really dangerous and can involve a lot of money.
For now, the only thing fans of EA games can do is trust the company to handle the rest, repairing the damage and finding the data thieves.
