Sony PlayStation Network

[TheHalf™]

TOKYO (AP)

Sony began restoring its PlayStation Network service in the United States and Europe on Sunday after shutting down the service almost a month ago due to a massive security breach affecting over 100 million online accounts.

Sony also began a phased restoration of its Qriocity movie and music services which share the PlayStation Network's server, said Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka. Limited services will also resume in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Middle East, and Sony said it will start restoring the service for users in Asia soon. It aims to fully restore the PlayStation Network by the end of May.

Sony's PlayStation network is a system that links gamers worldwide in live play. Sony shut it down on April 20 after discovering a hacker attack.

Sony said personal data, including credit card numbers, may have been stolen. But the company said Sunday it had not received any reports of the stolen information being used illegally.

Kazuho Hirai, chief of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation video game unit, said in a statement that the company has beefed up security measures to protect customers' personal data.

While the partial service allows users to enjoy video games and online chat, Sony said consumers still cannot buy video games or other content by using credit cards.

"While we understand the importance of getting our services back online, we did not rush to do so at the expense of extensively and aggressively testing our enhanced security measures," Hirai said.

Among the 100 million user accounts, Sony said about 92 million can access the limited PlayStation network service.

The network serves both the PlayStation video game machines and Sony's Qriocity movie and music services. It is a system that also allows users to upgrade and download games and other content.

Sony spokesman Fukuoka declined to give details on the company's probe into the hacker attack.   
 

05/14/2011 23:28 © Copyright The Associated Press

TheHalf™

[TheHalf™]

Spotlight falls on Sony's troubled cybersecurity, RAPHAEL G. SATTER Associated Press.

LONDON (AP) — Another massive data breach at Sony has left hackers exulting, customers steaming and security experts questioning why basic fixes haven't been made to the company's stricken cybersecurity program.

Complete article--->http://channels.isp.netscape.com/pf/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-+&idq=/ff/story/1001%2F20110604%2F2319.htm&sc=+&floc=NI-mo2

TheHalf™

[Synbios]

I don't agree with illegal activity and disrupting service like this to millions of customers, but what do you guys think about Sony restricting the PS3 console and preventing users from isntalling their own OS on it?

http://freakoutnation.com/2011/06/03/anonymous-declares-its-time-to-hack-the-planet/

Also I think it's pretty low that these hackers are trying to profit off the attack by selling the user data. Sounds like they had a ultimatum other than just proving a point about freedom.

[Bovski]

Being honest SONY are a bunch of retards the PlayStation Network is still vulnerable to SQL injections one of the most common attacks of the past they haven't encrypted any of the data the passwords & credit card details are still stored in plain text I'm guessing their security updates where done to protect their software not the customers.

[TheHalf™]

I agree Synbios about installing your own OS in the PS3 and to hack in and prove a point is one goal but not to compromise customers data. Bovski, I agree that Sony is protecting their own asses but not their customers.

TheHalf™

[planks]

I jus love playstations,whenever i da time i love to do playstation.

[briansmith12]

Sony absolutely has a winner on its hands. Yes, availability and pricing issues need to be overcome, but I'm sure that time will ease all those pains. From a technical perspective--and perhaps more important, from a usability perspective--the PS3 is at least as good as the Xbox 360.