Updates to this story
Over the weekend, Sony's top brass exec Kaz Hirai apologised for the huge PSN network hack and outage, saying that it was the efforts of a "highly sophisticated attack by a skilled intruder". Sony is offering compensation.
The attack was large enough to have the FBI involved. In fact, it's possibly the largest data breach in history. Users might be reassured by reports that credit card information was encrypted, but probably not.
There are other reports suggesting the breach could cost up to $300 million in credit card replacements for compromised accounts. With all the bad press you'd expect Sony to come up with a package that would stop its users forming a flash mob, storming the gates and ringing up Nato for air support.
Currently, it seems that users will receive a welcome back package when the service returns. Videogamer says that will mean free PS3 content for download, as well as a complimentary PlayStation Plus package. It's a token gesture as nothing can compensate for the damage done to Sony's reputation. Neither will it deal with the damage done to bank accounts and wallets, either through compromised information or the convincing phishing attempts certain to follow.
PlayStation Plus offers an economy plus version of the PSN. It provides exclusive access to beta demos as well as other items you can spend your money on before regular users get the chance.
A 30-day demoing of the service is little to placate furious and frustrated users who find it hard to fathom the security wasn't in place to deal with the assault in the first place. Specific details are thin as Sony skims on the wrong side of transparency and skates on the thin ice of public disgrace.
It took Sony too long to fess up. Users were greeted with a maintenance message before it finally came clean and admitted that it had suffered an enormous security breach. Even then, it was slightly longer still until it confirmed credit card details could be compromised.
The whole affair underlines the catastrophic need to take cyber security deadly seriously, not just in the corporate world but everywhere else, too.
The best compensation won't be a limited trial of a jumped-up download service, or a free game or novelty avatar.
The best compensation to users in the long run would be a shift in thinking, a wake-up to the very real threat that storing data in its legion brings. Sony claims it is adding a series of extra measures to make sure nothing like this ever happens again - and other companies should take note of one of the largest PR disasters of our time.
Reassurance that Sony is on the case probably won't buoy the confidence of customers. It will be a bitter pill to swallow for the already-unpopular banks to cope with, not to mention the users who will have to deal with the consequences for years to come.
"Users might be reassured by reports that credit card information was encrypted, but probably not."
They were Encrypted, and the passwords were hashed.
why would you say 'but probably not' I would be Unimaginable that a Company as big as Sony would not encrypt the c/c's in this day and age, you've been listening to too much internet bullshit and it's rotten your brain.
"The best compensation won't be a limited trial of a jumped-up download service, or a free game or novelty avatar.
The best compensation to users in the long run would be a shift in thinking, a wake-up to the very real threat that storing data in its legion brings. Sony claims it is adding a series of extra measures to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
I think the 'shift in thinking' Is an unavoidable consequence, the 'compensation' is more of a goodwill gesture, It's easy to blame Sony for everything and regurgitate misinformed rumours into facts for this little 'article'. but in my opinion attitudes like this are a Cancer to the internet as a whole.
they are like chewits for morons
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01884/sony_1884832c.jpg
Alas, no traditional offering of excised pinkies. I'm disappointed...
Your article is too much of an over reaction , sure you'll get some hits but some balanced views would be better.
Your acting as this was Sonys fault, that's like if someone robbed your house,and YOU get blamed for it,while your neighbors criticize you instead of the criminals.
Credit card info was encrypted, and that 300 mill is oversensitized, I decided to change my card for a " just in case " scenario,and it cost me $4. Yeah we can add up totals to wow people with big numbers,but the end result is not a large one.
Free trial of PSN plus, and some free games is decent to me. And actually appreciated. I'm a gamer on the PS3 and I have lost on confidence, it just made me support Sony more in their fight against hackers.
You slam Sony,yet give only a small thought to the criminals involved; wrong way to do things don't you think?
Sony didn't steal our information, hackers did.
. You havent told anyone anything on here that already didnt already know. Yes, Sony were late in cascading the extent. Yes, everyone including myself have credit card details hidden behind the outage.
Everyone just wants the PSN back and perhaps a gift of recognition and not your nagative attention seeking..
I would rather Sony executives would slit their bellies open.
I also have had my details taken as I used to own a PS3 but how can any of you say that the information that was stolen is not Sony's fault? Its totally their fault as they did not encrypt the user data.
The gesture of PSN + from Sony is no comfort to me as I no longer own a PS3.
My personal details (which I spend a lot of time and careful judgement on my part to keep private) has now been taken by somebody and could be used due to a company that didn't encrypt this information, it's unacceptable in this day and age of fraud and identity theft.
It will actually take a bankruptcy to get me off of PSN. I've never experienced anything quite like the service they have given me in the last 4 1/2 years, not to mention the durability of the product. I
I guess you could call me a fanboy lol, but they have won my loyalty where others have failed miserably. I can easily forgive them for this clusterfuck of epic proportions. Never kept my card details on PSN or anywhere else so i'm immune to this anyway. My regards go out to all who were compromised, I bear no hate to any gamer on any system, it's times like these the gaming community should be a bit more united and less like little 12 year old kids. Its hackers doing this to us, You don't blame the bank that gets robbed, although it should not happen and something should be said for that. overreactions are pointless and do not help the situation, we are all people, even Sony
Bad analogy. A better would be if you hear on the news that your bank safety deposit box was stolen. (Dunno, with grandpa's ashes.) A week later the bank contacts you... maybe. They publicly apologize. (Talk is cheap.) You are angry with the bank but others tell you that you have no right to blame the bank, because they did have a $0.99 padlock on the back door where the robbers came in and it even had a "staff only" sign on it.
Sure, blame the baddies but that doesn't get Sony of the hook, fanboiz...