Now here is an interesting thing.  I never even thought about the PS3 as a security risk.  Well, after reading this article, I learned that was definitely not the case.  It may just be a gaming and home entertainment system to many, but with its Internet and Browser capabilities, it could act as a hacking device.  Fortunately, Trend Micro is on the case to securing the PS3 and what’s even better is they are providing their security service free.  Not like gamers would really freak out about this, but it’s good to know that something is being done.

Trend Micro claims that as game consoles with Web browsers proliferate, so too will security problems. To date, however, such risks remain largely theoretical.

PlayStation 3 relies on a version of the NetFront browser, provided by Access Co., a maker of software for portable devices. In March, a hacker going by the name Anathema reported that the NetFront browser could be exploited. The vulnerability was added to the Bugtraq list in May.

Robert Hansen, known in security circles as RSnake, said in a May blog post that vulnerable Web-enabled devices like the PS3 could pose a serious threat. “Let’s say for a second that PS3 was sitting behind a firewall of someone who worked at supersecurecompany.com and they use a VPN only to connect to their company,” he said. “Now that I am running my code on that system, I could theoretically break into other machines on the network much easier since I am behind the firewall. This is far more nasty than I think most people realize. It might be a video game console but if it is Web-enabled and running over a shared Internet line it should be just as secure as anything else.”[more]

Tags: Computer Protection