https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/59p7qd/this-man-has-survived-by-hacking-mmo-online-games EverQuest isn't mentioned; but it shows that a large part of the third-party RMT market is illicitly supplied.
That story got a rather fake ring to it. And if this stuff us true, MMOs got some of the worst security designs ever. Hacks or no, at the end of the day characters are stored server-side. Whatever tranastions occur on a character, keep a metric of incoming and outgoing. Any account with extra high flow would then get investigated.
Information security is a very complex problem. Most things are not built from the ground up with security in mind and they are built from parts made by other people/companies. Developers often do the same amount of vetting as users when using software made by others, click accept and let it install. What was just let into your information world is not even a thought. A fair amount of effort is required to implement decent security but a hacker may only need one flaw to slip through. If the hack has a long term goal, they are actively trying to cover their electronic footprints. If it is an information grab, the damage is likely done once the hack is discovered or the damage is what alerts someone to the hack. Many systems are protected by security that is the equivalent of a deadbolt on a standard suburban home. It simply does not stand up to a real threat. The reality is the home is secured by not being under attack. The reasons it is not under attack are varied. This problem is only going to compound as all information becomes more and more valuable.
I'm not surprised EQ or any Daybreak game is not mentioned, the amount of RMT that goes on here is a teeny drop in the ocean compared to what happens with other game around the net.
Interesting story, but I have to ask: After he reported the hack to the company, did they sue him and/or press charges against him since what he did for all those years was against the law? If so, he would stand to loose a load of money!
