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What Really Happened in the Aftermath of the Lizard Squad Hacks

On Christmas Day in 2014 hackers knocked out the Xbox and PlayStation gaming networks, impacting how video game companies handled cybersecurity for years.

“We were all ready for a night of easy wins, quick XP [experience points] farming, and were looking forward to leveling up like crazy.” So, they waited like crocodiles anticipating herds of migrating buffalo to enter the river. It was all over social media: A group of hackers called Lizard Squad were bragging about their massive DDoS attack on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network—the crucial services that linked tens of millions of gamers to the Microsoft and Sony servers. Although many security experts angrily railed against the media’s portrayal of Lizard Squad as “sophisticated,” people grudgingly came to accept that the Christmas attack did have a big impact on cybersecurity and the gaming industry.

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