Some PS4 Consoles Are Randomly Getting Hacked; Here's How to Stop It From Happening to You

Protect your PlayStation from being disabled by hackers.

Some Reddit users are reporting that their PlayStation 4 (PS4) consoles have been rendered unusable after receiving strange messages via the PS4 messaging system.

The users reported receiving a message from another random user with emojis and, soon after receiving it, their consoles crashed or glitched repeatedly.

To fix their consoles after this alleged hack, a factory reset was required, which wipes all your game and user data. Yes, that means all your save files if you haven't backed them up.

Worried? It's totally fine, Sony believes they've already fixed the issue, but just in case, you should complete these very simple steps to ensure it doesn't affect you in the event that this saga isn't over.

First off, set your messages to private.

Look, unless you enjoy unsolicited messages from strangers on the internet (maybe save it for the 'gram?), your messages on PS4 should probably already be set to private. If you meet people online that you want to be digi-mates with, just get them to add you after your match.

To follow this crucial step, head to Settings > Account Management > Privacy Settings > Personal Info > Messages and set it to "No One". It definitely doesn't hurt to tweak the rest of privacy settings after you've done that too.

Consider two-step verification.

After you've saved your console's life, you should consider beefing up your security with two-step verification. It may take an extra 20 seconds every time you need to log in to a new device but it means you know when someone is trying to access your account. You've probably already done it a million times with other accounts but it works by receiving a code via text message, which you need to enter in when you log in. Set it up for your PS4 ASAP.

Change your password regularly.

Yes, this is the most annoying tip because you already know that you should be changing your password regularly but you're already overworking that 'Forgot your password?' prompt.

PlayStation, however, has had some pretty gnarly hacks in the past and your account will generally contain some pretty personal information, as well as your finances. For this reason, it's a good idea to change the password every few months and jot it down somewhere safe.