Sony: All PSN users may have been hacked

April 27th, 2011, 02:26 Posted By: wraggster

Security alert as millions of PlayStation Network users are told of ‘malicious’ attack

An illegal hack into the PlayStation Network may have exposed the personal data of every single user, Sony has warned.
In an admission of the sheer enormity of the security alert, Sony said “our investigation indicates that all PlayStation Network/ Qriocity accounts may be affected”.

Earlier, the company said a “malicious” hack has compromised key info of PlayStation Network users – including credit card data.
Now the platform holder has revealed the attack could put every single account at risk.
In a notice pubished on the PlayStation Blog, the company was asked if all user information had been compromised.
“In terms of possibility, yes,” the company said.
Sony announced in January this year that over 69 million people have registered a PlayStation Network account.
The company added, however, that it has not received any information that PSN data has been used illicitly.
“Not at this point in time,” the firm said.
It cannot be ruled out that credit card data was taken as part of the hack, Sony added, and judging by the perceived scale of the security alert, the likelihood of PSN credit card fraud is high.
A notice will be sent to every single PlayStation Network account holder to warn of identity fraud, Sony said.
The PlayStation 3 manufacturer said it had shut down the PlayStation Network for the past week due to “malicious actions”.
Data thought to be at risk includes user's names, addresses, emails, date of birth, PSN password and login information.
‘BE ON ALERT’

The hack occurred between April 17th and 19th, Sony said.
The company advised US account holders that they can place a “fraud alert” on their personal credit file.
Sony is conducting “a full and complete investigation into what happened”, and claims to have “taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information”.
“Be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information” read a statement.
“Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information.
"If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity".
Sony added that it may offer a refud to PSN users.
"When the full services are restored and the length of the outage is known, we will assess the correct course of action," the firm said.
http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...d-by-data-hack

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