PSN Hacked - "External Intrusion" - Online Outage Continues

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   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th. Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.
   
   Posted on 23 April by James Gallagher – Blog Manager, SCEE.

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   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   "The Sony PlayStation network down debacle has scarred the company that has been free from outages. Word soon came that the coveted system was hacked, blocking co-op players from getting online.
   
   The service providers responsible for the network outage issue released a statement that said: "Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure."
   
   However, the main information gamers wanted to hear about the time needed to get the system back online was not mentioned in the statement on the website.
   
   Sony has been tight-lipped about issuing a restoration date of the network, but an insider close to the hacked incident says that Europe and the U.S. should be able to access co-op play by Tuesday following Easter."
   
   Brad Bechler - Technology

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      prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you Belzeedad, tomorrow then - Tuesday!

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         Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hopefully, if that insider rumor is true.
         
         It is really hard to believe the network will have been down for nearly an entire week.

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      manthyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for the information, I didn't know what had happened.

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3. 78

   Theo20185posted 13 years ago

   The only way this situation will frustrate me is if Sony uses this as a reason to charge all PSN members, not just the PSN Plus members. Free access to PSN was the deciding factor to stay with a Sony console and not jump ship to an X-Box 360. If Sony does make PSN a subscription network, I would be likely to trade in my console and head back to the PC for my game-playing needs.

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      prettydarkhorseposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      depends on the amount, LOL. Hope not.

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Excellent point. I've read a fair amount of talk from members about what they should expect from Sony in terms of remuneration as a result of the outage, but not so much talk about what Sony might decide to do, contrary to the expectations of the members.
      
      Well said.

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   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   April 26
   
   Sony has admitted it does not know when its PlayStation network will be back online, five days after a hacking incident forced the company to take the gaming system down.
   
   The Japanese electronics group said last week that it had shut the network after discovering it had been hacked and, on Monday, said it did not know when the security improvements required to restart the network, which has more than 70m users, would be in place.
   
   Joseph Menn - Financial Times

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   prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

   oh no, not today???LOL

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   penninglposted 13 years ago

   I'm with Theo. I'm somewhat put off with the network being down but it doesn't really bother me all that much. I can still watch Netflix on it so that helps. If Sony uses this as a reason to make all users pay for PSN I'm going to be very frustrated. That would be a huge slap in the face, but considering their PS+ system is fairly new I doubt they would just cut and run on that. Abandoning their most loyal customers. Not to mention the thousands and thousands of people who would jump ship to Microsoft just out of spite. Don't think Sony is is looking to make it's users more angry than they already are.
   
   Latest news is that a lot of PSN user's personal info has been compromised in the hack including addresses, dates of birth, passwords, security questions, and possible credit card information. While it's frustrating not being able to play online with friends, at this point it's important for Sony to take their time and make sure PSN and it's user's information is completely secure before bringing the network back online.
   
   It would take my PS3 becoming self aware and trying to kill me for me to ever consider buying an X-box, but if Sony pulls a move like charging for PSN in the wake of all this... I will definitely lose a ton of respect for them.

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7. 59

   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   April 27
   
   After the online PlayStation Network (PSN) had been down for a week, Sony finally came out yesterday  and admitted that "user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network."
   
   For Sony, this is a nightmare scenario, as hackers could potentially have access to users' names, addresses, email addresses, PSN passwords, and possibly credit card information. Because a lot of people use the same passwords across multiples platforms/sites, that could be an incredibly lucrative haul for hackers.
   
   Luke Alnutt - RFERL

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8. 59

   Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

   A "MUST READ" for anyone with a PSN account.
   
   "Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained."
   
   http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/ … -qriocity/

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   Theo20185posted 13 years ago

   Just to be on the safe side, I'm not waiting to find out if my credit card information is stolen. The card that was on PSN has been deactivated and a new one is ordered. In the future, I'm going to secure a pre-paid card (making sure it has no monthly fees or inactivity fees) and use that for PSN purchases.
   
   I wonder if Sony will be liable based on PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) standards that Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and Amex have implemented. Most merchants are being charged extra fees on an annual or monthly basis in order for the payment networks to cover the cost of becoming PCI compliant. The liability for a data breach is massive, or at least that's what small merchants are told.

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    Theo20185posted 13 years ago

    I just gathered all my personal thoughts, conspiracy theories, and a few tips on how to protect yourself since credit card data may or may not have been breached into a hub.
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Thoughts-on-the … ata-Breach

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    Beelzedadposted 13 years ago

    April 28
    
    Sony could only promise that the hacked PlayStation  Network would start coming back online within six days, as the company's engineers grapple with the consequences of security breach that affected 77 million users.
    
    The maker of the PS3 console issued a blogpost update, saying that "some services" would be up and running "within a week from yesterday", such is the gravity of the situation.
    
    Keith Stuart - Guardian
    
    

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 1
    
    At a press conference Sunday afternoon in Japan, Sony Corp.'s Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai outlined some of the steps the company will take to protect users' data. Hirai was flanked by two other executives, Chief Information Officer Shinji Hasejima and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Shiro Kambe.
    
    One is hiring a "chief information security officer" to help prepare future defenses against hacking attacks. The company will also set up a new data center in San Diego, with "more advanced security." Hirai said the new center would have better detection systems in place, as well as enhanced data encryption.
    
    An additional sign-on feature will also be added, but Hirai was not specific about what that might be.
    
    While Sony isn't offering direct compensation to users - at least not yet - the company said it would offer a 30-day subscription to PlayStation Plus while Qriocity customers will get an extra 30 days of service for free.
    
    At the end of the press conference Hirai, Hasejima and Kambe bowed deeply, and reiterated their apologies.
    
    Jesse Emspak - International Business Times

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 2
    
    Sony has announced they will introduce the "Welcome Back" campaign sometime this week opening up their new network for gaming and a few other services. The date has not yet been released. Some free services will be offered to members.
    
    It is thought that the cost to Sony for this debacle will be around $1.5 Billion.
    
    Here, on chat transcript on Feb. 16, just a few days before the event was found this statement by a hacker known as "SKFU"
    
    "i just finished decrypting 100% of all psn functions"
    
    http://173.255.232.215/logs/efnet/ps3dev/2011-02-16

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    johncimbleposted 12 years ago

    It's pretty crazy, I wonder how exactly this was able to happen. Sony is being very unclear about what they're giving away to make up for this. Glad i'm an Xbox user

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 4 - Sony’s Response to the U.S. House of Representatives.
    
    "We told the subcommittee about our intent to offer complimentary identity theft protection to U.S. account holders and detailed the “Welcome Back” program that includes free downloads, 30 days of free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium subscription service; 30 days of free service for Music Unlimited subscribers; and extending PlayStation Plus and Music Unlimited subscriptions for the number of days services were unavailable.
    
    We are working around the clock to have some PlayStation Network services restored and we’ll be providing specific details shortly. We hope this update is helpful to you, and we will continue to keep you posted as we work to restore our network and provide you with both the entertainment and the security you deserve."

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 5
    
    Today our global network and security teams at Sony Network Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment began the final stages of internal testing of the new system, an important step towards restoring PlayStation Network and Qriocity services.
    
    Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International have made arrangements with Debix, Inc., one of the industry’s most reputable identity protection firms, to offer AllClear ID Plus at no cost to PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders for 12 months from the time an account holder registers for the program.
    
    Please note that we will start sending out activation emails for this program over the next few days, and you will have until June 18th to sign-up and redeem your code. You will need to sign up directly through AllClearID, not on Sony’s websites, and details, including step-by-step instructions for the program, will be emailed to United States PSN and Qriocity Account holders soon.
    
    Patrick Seybold - Sony

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 8
    
    PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services remain shut as of today, Shigenori Yoshida, a Tokyo-based spokesman said. Sony is uncertain when it can resume the services, Yoshida said by phone today.
    
    The company is in the process of adopting an improved security system and its plan to restart the services fully by May 31 is unchanged, he said.
    
    Mariko Yasu - Bloomberg
    
    

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       prettydarkhorseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       May 31st, geez, it is taking so long.

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18. 59

    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 10
    
    I know you all want to know exactly when the services will be restored. At this time, I can’t give you an exact date, as it will likely be at least a few more days. We’re terribly sorry for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work through this process.
    
    Patrick Seybold - Sony
    
    Much better news.

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 13
    
    A report has arrived at   Electronic Theatre suggesting that a number of developers have been granted access to the PlayStation Network matchmaking service. Although developer access remains separate from that which the public would utilise for playing videogames online, it is nonetheless a positive sign that the PlayStation Network may soon be available for consumers.
    
                After the recent reports suggesting that many PlayStation Network features will not return until next month, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) had stated that getting the public Electronic Theatre Imagematchmaking online was a top priority. This essentially means that gamers would be able to play games online, but may not have access to a number of other features, including the PlayStation Store and external services.
    
    Electronic Theatre

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    May 14 - Yeehah!!!
    
    Thank you for your patience and encouragement over the last few weeks. As covered in the post from earlier today, you can now update the firmware on your PS3 and change your password. Kazuo Hirai just announced that we have begun the phased restoration by region of some of the services, starting with online multiplayer functionality.
    
    Please note that these services will take a bit of time to be turned on and rolled out to the whole country. The process has begun and some states are being turned on now, so please be patient as we reach your city and state. We’ll be updating the map below as service comes online in individual states. It will take several hours to restore PSN throughout the entire country, so please keep checking back for the latest updates. In the meantime, now’s a great time to get your PS3’s firmware updated, which is required to get online.
    
    Sony

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    Beelzedadposted 12 years ago

    MAY 15
    
    UP AND RUNNING!!!!
    
    

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       prettydarkhorseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Today?

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    buckey777posted 12 years ago

    The store opened back this week and the welcome back package is now available for DL. You can choose 2 out of 5 games for free including inFAMOUS, Little Big Planet, Wipeout HD, Starburst HD and Zombie Nation. Also as a bonus you get 30 days free PSN+ service. I would have to recomend LPB and inFAMOUS for those who don't have either. A good 3rd option is Wipeout HD enjoying it at the moment. I just recently wrote a review of LBP here: http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Little-Big-Planet-Review

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