Sony has had quite the PR disaster on its hands after the exposure of its PlayStation Network. While Microsoft has, so far, not had its systems compromised to the degree that Sony is currently facing, the platform is not perfect either. A report out of Ireland states that a teen who attempted to hack Microsoft"s Xbox is now working along side the company to help develop his skills for more legitimate purposes.
The report comes from Herald.ie and states that a Dublin teen "was responsible for millions of computer users being alerted after the popular online game Modern Warfare 2 was hacked." The story is about aloof on direct details as it refers to the Microsoft Xbox in most of the story but refers to computers being hacked, not the actual console.
But, rather than lambasting the young teen and revoking his access to the Internet or other punishment, Microsoft is now working with the teen to help develop his skills. The Herald states:
Mr Rellis said Microsoft is working with the teenager to develop his talent and help him use his skills for legitimate purposes.
While this shouldn"t be an open invitation to hack any company in an attempt to land a job, it is an encouraging sign that Microsoft wants to help the teen develop skills that are more useful to society. Also, unlike Sony who took Geohot to court after he cracked the PS3, Microsoft is helping to grow the next generation of engineers who will help bring about the next wave of computer innovation.