Sony PSN offline until next week, user accounts compromised

Matthew DeCarlo

Posts: 5,271   +104

As you've undoubtedly heard, Sony's PlayStation Network was taken offline last week following a security breach. Sony remained incredibly quiet about the matter through the weekend, but with mounting pressure from gamers, the company has finally released an official explanation. According to a post on the PlayStation blog, Sony discovered that between April 17 and 19, certain PSN and Qriocity account details were compromised in a network intrusion.

In response to the break-in, Sony flipped the switch on its PSN and Qriocity services and hired an external security firm to perform a complete investigation. At this time, it's believed that the attacker obtained access to your name, address, country, email address, birthdate, PSN/Qriocity name and password, as well as your handle/PSN online ID. It's also possible that your password security answers were obtained along with any sub-account information.

Sony says there's no evidence that users' credit card data was taken, but it can't rule out the possibility. If such information was snagged, it would "only" be your credit card number and expiration date, but not your security code. As such, the company recommends that you keep track of your financial statements and credit reports, noting that US residents are entitled by law to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit bureaus:

  • Experian: 888-397-3742; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
  • Equifax: 800-525-6285; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
  • TransUnion: 800-680-7289; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

"At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a 'fraud alert' on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity."

With your name, contact information and login credentials in the hands of a criminal party, it would be wise to change your passwords to other online services. Additionally, the company suggests that its users should be extra cautious about email, telephone and postal scams that request sensitive information. Sony itself will never contact you in any way to request "personally identifiable" information such as your credit card or social security number.

If you have further concerns about identity theft, Sony's blog post contains contact information for the FTC and your state's Attorney General. As for PSN's recovery, Sony says the service will remain offline until its investigation is complete and it implements the proper security measures to prevent this from reoccurring. At the time of writing, the company estimates that "some services" will be back online within a week -- surely longer than you wanted to hear.

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Sony is going to have to do something big to make up for this because i have a feeling a-lot of people will not be trusting them with any more information.
 
Oh great. even if i can't seem to play online atm, my whole credit card details as well my address is stolen by some punk. DAM IT!!!
 
I'm glad i have a credit freeze on all 3 bureaus to help protect myself when this cr@p happens. I just hope it's enough to help protect myself. I can almost guaranteed ANON is behind it, they won't admit it because it'll mean a deeper and harder investigation from FBI and put them at risk from getting caught if they take credit. Hope they get caught and get butt rape in prison.

It'll be interesting to see how sony rebounds to this.
 
Wow. Sony, just gotta say, you guys are awesome. I mean, this is the best PR stunt, like, EVER! (SARCASM)
 
What is wrong with you guys!!!!!!
The Playstation Network is hacked!!
You guys that work for the Playstation Network should arrest the hacker and turn the Playstation Network back online!!!!!!
 
[fanboy]Guest said:
What is wrong with you guys!!!!!!
The Playstation Network is hacked!!
You guys that work for the Playstation Network should arrest the hacker and turn the Playstation Network back online!!!!!![/fanboy]
 
This is the funny part about this screw up.... The first day it was taken offline they said "it should take a day or two." Two days pass, no psn.... Than it said it will be back online on tuesday, now it says wednesday... WHEN SONY!!!
 
Okay, This has really pissed me off now, I had 3 active credit cards linked to my account, I also had my home address registered, If ANY of this goes towards getting me cloned and defrauded, Sony is going to have a LOT of f*cking work to do to pay me back!!!
 
Hey, how about we all buy xbox360's, and let sony lose buissness!!!!! OH YEAH
(And now that hacker is going to cahnge my freeking password, than i cant get online!)
 
okay im starting to get annoyed by people who complained about them not giving an answer to what happend until a few days later. you should at least be thankful they keep giving us updates. also its not like they're going to tell us exactly how they got hacked because some other hacker could be like "oh thats how they did it now i could try something like that" so they could learn from the other hackers mistake. last im just saying in my opinion why would you use a credit card when you could of just bought psn cards that way none of your information is they're system. also with credit cards you should only buy things thats you can sell back. just saying.
 
Thanks Sony u really did it this time!!!!
That stupid punk who hacked the psn is gonna pay my credits on the psn store!!!
Why in the world did he hack it in the frist place hes not getting anything for just hacking it!!!!
hes a really stupid guy to hack the psn!!!
now that punk gots my address and profile for him self!!!
you better make the psn better and pay us all back our f*** MONEY!!!!!
:(((((
UPGRADE THE PSN!!!!
THANKS ALOT!!!!!!!!



DAMM IT!!!!!!!
 
Yeah lets all get a Xbox 360 and let the Playstation Network lose there f*** money
and thats hella true the hacker is gonna change my f*** password!!!!!
 
Same thing happened to microsoft in 07 stop whining it can happen to even the best online companies.
 
they should give use one whole week of free downloads including games, map packs, movies, music, themes, avatars, and anything else
 
thats why I use a pre-paid visa or mastercard. If you put your debit card or a real credit card online period , Than you are an *****! Get with the program people.There are other people that can not make money in any other way than stealing yours. Use some street smarts if you have any.
 
Its been 6 days, i barely bought this system now its having problems,maybe XBOX is better! Wow what a spring break i had.SCREW YAL
 
That's the problem, why waste money on another console at the end of it's prime...let's hope project Cafe is something better and start saving up.
 
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