Sony Details PSN Attacks
Sony’s PlayStation Network has been down since last Wednesday and the outage was due to their network being hacked. We have now more details from Sony’s Kaz Hirai.
Following a criminal cyberattack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A., Sony Network Entertainment International quickly turned off the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system. The intrusion was discovered between April 17 and 19, and the PlayStation Network was taken down on April 20. On April 26, Sony notified the owners of 10 million accounts that their personal information, potentially including credit card information, had been compromised in the attack.
What is Sony going to do about this:
- new security has been implemented, the data center has been moved to an undisclosed location
- appointed a Chief Information Security Officer, directly reporting to Shinji Hasejima, Chief Information Officer of Sony Corporation
- new security measures including more robust firewalls, enhanced levels of data protection and encryption and more
- each region will get a ‘Welcome Back’ package with free goodies
- 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service
- Qriocity subscribers will receive 30 days of free service
- Sony is considering paying for users’ credit card replacements
Parts of the PSN will be up with sometime this week.
Sony Sued Over PlayStation Network Hack
The Playstation Network has 77 million users around the world and the system has been hacked by criminals who have stolen users’ personal information, possibly including credit card details. Stolen data include names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses, and passwords to the network.
Sony shut down the PSN system since last Wednesday. The first person suing Sony is Alabama resident Kristopher Jones, who has been a PlayStation user since 2009.
Sony PlayStation Network Down
Sony’s PlayStation Network has been down since Wednesday and the outage was due to their network being hacked. No words from Sony when the service will be up.
From Playstation Blog:
We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security.
PS3 PlayStation Network Gets Reality TV Show
Sony will launch an original reality TV series on its PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game devices. The reality TV show is called The Tester, where gamers will compete to get a job as a game tester at Sony’s U.S. game division in San Diego, as well as winning a $5,000 signing bonus.
From Sony’s The Tester – The eight episode series features 11 avid gamers competing in a series of physical and mental elimination challenges to win an actual job as an official PlayStation® game tester along with a $5000 signing bonus.
See who’s at the top of their game – and who’s not – in the exclusive new series premiering February 18.
PS3 Network Expands To Include NBC Universal TV And Movies
Sony Computer Entertainment America has expanded the Playstation Network on the PS3 to include 1,300 movies and 4,500 TV episodes from NBC Universal.
The 9 million registered users in the US will be able to download of films and television programs using the PlayStation 3 and PSP. Universal Studios will include launch titles such as Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Death Race, The Incredible Hulk, Burn After Reading, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and The Big Lebowski. NBC’s TV programming includes The Office, Heroes and 30 Rock, and SCI FI’s Battlestar Galactica and Eureka.
Rentals will cost from $2.99 and $5.99, and purchases cost between $9.99 and $14.99. TV shows can be viewed the day after their original airing.
PS3 Movie Download Service Announced
Sony has announced at E3 conference that you are now able to download movies from PSN on your Playstation 3. Movies will be from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. The AVC format movies can be downloaded to your PSP.
