Sony Confirms Massive Data Breach Affecting 70 Million PlayStation Network Users
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The PlayStation Network has now been down for an entire week, and in its latest update, Sony admitted that it hopes to have 'some' PSN/Qriocity services restored in a week's time. However, that’s no longer the biggest worry for PSN users. Following a week of virtual silence regarding the consequences of the attack, the company has confirmed previous reports that the intrusion it experienced did result in a significant data breach.
Sony’s Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Social Media, Patrick Seybold, yesterday took to the PlayStation blog to explain that between April 17 - 19, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with “an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into [Sony’s] network.” The company pulled the plug last Wednesday (April 20) and brought in outside help to investigate the intrusion and determine the scope of the breach.
Sony is currently sending emails to all PSN users detailing the information compromised in the attack. This lengthy letter is embedded below, but for those eager for the ‘quick and dirty’ on what information was exposed, Sony believes that “an unauthorized person has obtained the following information” about PSN users:
Name
Address (city, state, zip)
Country
Email address
Birthdate
PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login and handle/PSN online ID.
Sony says it’s 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 a sub-account for someone else in your house, the same data with respect to that account may have been obtained.
Additionally, Sony says that while there is no evidence that credit card data was taken, it can’t be ruled out, either.
Sony Confirms Massive Data Breach Affecting 70 Million PlayStation Network Users
