Sony Playstation Network Cyber Attack Revealed

Sony has issued a major security warning to its Playstation Network users, after experiencing a massive hacking attack by an unknown source earlier on this month.

The Playstation Network user warning highlights the risk of personal data, such as credit card information, having been stolen as a result of the hack and advises Network users to be on the lookout for faux emails and phone calls from now on.

"We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network", Nick Caplin - Sony's European communications head - stated in an official blog release.

Playstation Network Attack

The same release detailed the type of Playstation user data that may have stolen, including name, address, email address, date of birth and Playstation Network user data.

"For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information", Caplin added, in the Playstation Network hack statement.

The sheer popularity of the Sony Playstation Network could make any data theft that has taken place a potentially massive security incident.

As this article was being prepared, the Sony Playstation Network, access to which was suspended on 20 April, was still unable to be accessed by any of its 77 million global users.

Sony Cyber Attack

Meanwhile, an unnamed security organisation is set to launch an investigation into the Sony cyber attack, while Playstation Network users themselves await the restoration of service.

No official word on its return has yet been released, but Sony has described its decision to seal it up, for the time being, as a response to an ‘illegal and unauthorised intrusion.'

"We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable", Caplin told users.

Security Technology will revisit this subject in future news coverage.

See also:

Cyber Europe 2010 Online Security Exercise