Sony PlayStation disconnects 77 million user accounts after massive data breach

[AsahinaKimi]

Source: JAPAN TODAY

Wednesday 27th April, 10:35 AM JST

LOS ANGELES —

Sony Corp said Tuesday that the credit card data of PlayStation users around the world may have been stolen in a hack that forced it to shut down its PlayStation Network for the past week, disconnecting 77 million user accounts.

Some players brushed off the breach as a common hazard of operating in a connected world, and Sony said some services would be restored in a week. But industry experts said the scale of the breach was staggering and could cost the company billions of dollars.

“Simply put, one of the worst breaches we’ve seen in several years,” said Josh Shaul, chief technology officer for Application Security Inc, a New York-based company that is one of the country’s largest database security software makers.

Sony said it has no direct evidence credit card information was taken, but said “we cannot rule out the possibility.”



Read more: http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/sony-says-credit-data-risked-in-playstation-outage

[postulater]

1. You have to use a credit card to play a video game? on a machine that you already own?

[Skittles]

2. fucking ridiculous

people actually DO that? WTF

[benh57]

3. for extra content, yes..

The video game industry makes more money than the film industry. I could similarly say, people PAY to have a copy of a movie they already saw and know what happens??

[the_chinuk]

5. Because it's what's "done" today

It's the new age's version of keeping up with the Joneses. Everyone else has the great content, so you can have it too. Also, being out in the real world has become unfashionable; "reality" is not an app that can be downloaded to a PlayStation, and is therefore boring.

Much better to cocoon-up and address each other through our avatars than it is to have a community anymore. And it fills a need. One that they created, but still.

[Taft_Bathtub]

7. Amazing you have time to post on the internet

with all the whipper snappers you have to scare off your lawn and all.

[Safetykitten]

8. That's the new game "Whippersnappers". The goal is to hit youngin's with false teeth.

[Posteritatis]

10. Hee. (nt)

[the_chinuk]

14. Nice Reply. You really need a new joke book though.

I remember those snappy rejoinders back when we were posting to Usenet using stone knives and bearskins, and transmitting IP addresses using smoke signals.

Dork.

[chrisa]

12. Completely wrong. You sound like you have never played a video game in your life.

No offense.

[the_chinuk]

15. Offense taken. That was a dumb comment to make when you haven't even been acquainted with me.

I mean, c'mon people. Someone makes one comment about people flushing their money down the PlayStation Network toilet and complaining about the lack of community these days and you guys fling this poop?

Explain how I'm wrong or I have defective values, or I'm done with you. It's what we used to call coversation

Of course, the way I see it, addressing my comments with the replies it got really just proves my point.

[PVnRT]

24. How are you wrong?

Maybe it's the whole broad-brush thing you were using there.

Maybe you could explain why people who don't share your specific values are now suddenly worthless simpletons. If they want to buy games online, how is that any different from people spending money on other things they enjoy? Do you mock them, too, because they don't stop by your front porch for a daily conversation?

[the_chinuk]

26. I never said anyone was a worthless simpleton

Those are your words.

I never mocked anyone. I merely expressed an opinion.

And you're doing what they're doing.

[Posteritatis]

27. Your opinion is wrong. (nt)

[Dappleganger]

4. No you don't.

That's only for people who purchase things through the network store (which we never do).

Also, the PSN is free so it's not like Xbox Live (yearly membership required for online play).

[RandySF]

6. If you want to play others online

If you want to play someone online or download such extras as characters and bakgrounds, then you need access to the network. But if you just want to play the game you bought at the store, you're just fine.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. Playing online is free, but downloading games costs money.

The outage primarily affected the online multiplayer experience.

[CBGLuthier]

11. No, you don't have to use a CC to play

You also don't have to use a CC to hook to their network either.

You CAN use a CC to either join PS plus or to download games, movies, and music. In actually you don't HAVE to use a CC as you can buy PS gift cards in a store and use them online.

[Lucian]

17. On the XBox 360, yes, you have to.

On the Playstation Network all you need is an internet connection and a game that you can play online. The thing I love about the PS3 is that one doesn't need to pay to use the online part of it.

[PVnRT]

23. Only for extra stuff for games, online-only games, etc.

It's no different than paying for shareware and the like on your computer. You do not have to give them a credit card number if you don't want to buy anything.

[MadHound]

13. OH NOES, THE HORROR!

People are being forced to disconnect from the virtual world and now will have to actually *gasp* deal with the real world:scared::yoiks:

[Posteritatis]

20. Because anyone with a game console is glued to it 24/7, right? (nt)

[PVnRT]

25. Good job, there, playing to stereotypes like that

I could say the same thing about avoiding the "real" world about a lot of different people - LARPers, Ren Faire addicts, and so on.

[Lucian]

16. Thankfully I bought a prepaid Playstation card to buy my Black Ops: First Strike mappack.

I was going to use my credit card, but back out of it at the last minute. I'm glad I did that.

[Johonny]

18. All the information in my play station account is fake

although the hackers now know how bad I sucked at Black Ops.

[Lucian]

19. They got my address...

but I'm moving in a week so I couldn't care less. They got my name, address, and email address (a dummy account), but that's it.

I'm glad I didn't give out any more personal info than that.

I'm just bummed that I haven't been able to play Black Ops or Mortal Kombat for over a week now. It kind of pisses me off.

[Wait Wut]

21. That's how I felt when my WoW account was hacked.

Bet they were pretty damned disappointed at the crappy greens (may they all burn in hell for eternity and a friggin day).

[Blue_Tires]

22. Thanks for taking a week to tell us, Sony...

hopefully my identity is too insignificant to steal...

[joshcryer]

28. FYI there was a guy who said this would happen, I apologize to him for arguing he was wrong.

I honestly underestimated the ability of Sony to fuck something up as bad as they did.