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Showing posts with label Sony. Show all posts

Monday, July 4, 2011

PSN extends welcome back offer has been until July 5th until 9AM PST

Get your games and Playstation Plus NOW!!

Due to complaints related to the previous post here, the offer has been extended until until July 5th until 9AM PST. For more info and help go here:
http://community.us.playstation.com/message/36112264#36112264

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sony's Welcome Back package ended today, users claim premature termination

Sony's Welcome Back package ended earlier today, July 3, and users are no longer able to claim their free content, despite information from Sony that the program would last "through" July 3. Yesterday we reported Sony's Welcome Back package would end July 3, based on PlayStation.Blog posts detailing the terms of the program, which was begun to "thank users for their loyalty" following the month-long outage of the PlayStation Network and the more upsetting compromise of user's personal information:

June 30, 2011, "Welcome Back Program Available Now – Details Inside"

Q: When will I have access to the Welcome Back Program?
A: The content offered as part of the Welcome Back Program is available for download today and will be available through July 3.
Q: How long do I have to get into the PlayStation Store and receive my content for Welcome Back?
A: Access to the Welcome Back content will be expiring on July 3. Once this date has passed, the Welcome Back section in the PlayStation Store will be removed.

July 1, 2011, "Public Service Announcement – Claim Your Free Games Now!"

This offer expires on Sunday, July 3rd, so please make sure to claim what's yours before then.

Many PlayStation Network users are surprised and angry at the deal's seemingly early removal, saying they believed it would end at midnight July 3, leading into July 4. Some users were waiting until the deadline to claim 30 days of free PlayStation Plus, and now feel as if they were misled.

Sr. Social Media Manager Jeff Rubenstein has responded on Twitter to questions from GameFly Media editorial director Garnett Lee, writing, "There were 30 days to claim it, not sure why people decided to wait. We were clear from the outset."

We have contacted Rubenstein for clarification on this clusterf -- ahem, communication confusion.

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/03/psa-sonys-welcome-back-package-ended-today-users-claim-premat/

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

E3 2011: Sony Apologizes For Hacks, Unveils PlayStation Vita

At this year’s big E3 video game convention in Los Angeles, Sony offered some new hardware and some apologies. NY1’s Adam Balkin filed the following report.

Aside from the monstrous creations on display in one first-person shooter, there was another giant beast at this year's Sony E3 press conference: the elephant in the room.
A recent hack on the company’s online PlayStation Network caused not only a huge outage, but may have compromised the account information for nearly 100 million users.

“You are the lifeblood of the company,” said Jack Tretton, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, at a press conference. “Without you, there is no PlayStation, and I want to apologize both personally and on behalf of the company for any anxiety we’ve caused you.”
That aside, the big news from Sony was more information on its next generation handheld, the PlayStation Vita, which is the successor to the company’s PlayStation Portable or PSP system.
“The features alone are cutting edge: two analog sticks that give you Dual Shock-like control of games, a stunning multi-touch five-inch OLED screen, front and rear touch pads, six axis motion sensing technology, and, of course, my favorite feature, front and rear cameras allowing for augmented reality experiences never before seen, completely blurring the lines between reality and interactive entertainment,” said Kazuo Hirai, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The PlayStation Vita will be out by the holidays and will cost about $250 for the WiFi-only version and about $300 for WiFi and 3G, with data plans available via ATT.

In an effort to extend the brand beyond just Sony hardware, the company also announced PlayStation Suite, which will allow some content to be available on certain Android phones and tablets.
Finally, in a push towards 3D console gaming hardware, Sony announced a 24-inch PlayStation-branded 3D television that, with a 3D game and some peripherals, will cost just about $500.

Monday, May 23, 2011

This Week Recapped

Infamous 2 HD Screenshot Pack Released HERE.
Media Create Co. this week said the Sony Corp.’s Playstation 3 ranked third in hardware sales in the latest Japan post restore of the Playstation Network division.
The PS3 sold 13,789 units between May 9 and May 15 to rank No. 3 in overall hardware sales.
By comparison, it sold 20,883 units the week prior.
The hardware ranked two titles in the top 10, including Konami Corp.’s Pro Spirits Baseball 2011 at No. 9.
Sony this week said it will resume operation of the Playstation Store division of the Playstation Network on May 24 according to an internal memo to game developer partners.
While the Playstation Network was restored last week to most territories, the Playstation Store has been held offline to prevent users from purchasing new content.
Sony this week restored the Playstation Network division in the U.S.
In addition, service was restored in the UK, Ireland, Middle East, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and South America .
Restoration includes sign-in to the Playstation Network and Qrocity division, including password reset; restoration of online gameplay across the PS3 and PSP; playback of rental video content; access to third-party services like Netflix and Hulu; Friends functionality, and Playstation Home.
The company said it has implemented new and additional security measures, including updating and adding advanced security technologies, additional software monitoring and penetration and vulnerability testing, and increased levels of encryption and additional firewalls.
The new Firmware 3.61 is a mandatory update that will require PSN users to change their password prior to login of the network.
The company expects to have service fully restored by the end of May.
Advanced sales for Infamous 2 standard and Hero Edition SKU for the Playstation 3 increased this week at GameStop Corp.’s online division due to solid demand.
Sony this week detailed the ‘Welcome Back’ customer appreciation initiative for Playstation 3 and PSP owners following restoration of the Playstation Network this week.
All PSN customers can select two PS3 titles for 30 days after the Playstation Store is restored. Titles include Dead Nation, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, Super Stardust HD, and Wipeout HD + Fury.
PSP owners can download two titles for 30 days after the Playstation Store is online. Titles include LittleBigPlanet, ModNation Racers, Pursuit Force, and Killzone Liberation.
In addition, PSN users will receive select rental movie titles, 30 days of Playstation Plus membership, 60 days of free subscription for existing Plus members, 30 days of free premium subscription to Qriocity Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members, 30 days plus time lost to Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription; and 100 free virtual items for Playstation Home.
Sony this week denied a second attack on the Playstation Network following a password reset email exploit.
Sony this week said it temporarily took down a website that allowed PSN and Qriocity users to reset their account password due to a URL exploit that was subsequently fixed.
The company encourages all users to reset their password via the PS3 hardware.
Sony this week announced new in-game pre-order bonus items to be sold with to advanced orders of Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One for the Playstation 3.
Amazon.com Inc. is offering a T-Rex Morph Weapon Mod to customers who pre-order Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One.
Meanwhile, GameStop.com is offering a hovering Mr. Zurkon to aid in battle.
Finally, Walmart.com is offering a Sheepinator Morph Weapon Mod to pre-order customers.
Sales for Sony Corp.’s PSP held a lead over Nintendo Co.’s Nintendo 3DS handheld in the latest retail figures from Japan.
Advanced sales for the Infamous 2 standard and Hero Edition SKU increased this week at GameStop Corp.’s online division due to solid demand.
Pre-order sales for Namco Bandai Games America Inc. this week said it will release Dark Souls ranked in the top 10 game sales at Amazon.com Inc. amid strong demand.
Media Create Co. this week said the PSP sold 34,655 units between May 9 and May 15 to rank as the No. 1 game hardware for the week.
The PSP go sold 171 units to rank No. 10 for the week.
The PSP ranked six titles in the top 10, including Patapon 3 at No. 5 and Konami Corp.’s Pro Baseball Spirits 2011 at No. 6.

PSP games coming to PS3 via Remaster series

Sony is trying to bridge the gap between its PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 3.
The company said yesterday it plans to launch a new series of games called PSP Remaster. The series will be comprised of some of the more-popular PSP games, which will then be ported to the PlayStation 3 for big-screen, high-definition gameplay. To add more appeal to the formerly portable-only titles, the company said the games will come with stereoscopic 3D support.
However, the most important addition to the games is the ability for people to start playing the title on either the PSP or PlayStation 3 and then continuing the saved game on the other hardware.
Sony's decision to tie the PSP to its PlayStation 3 comes at a transitional time in the company's portable division.
Earlier this year, Sony unveiled the Next Generation Portable (NGP), which it plans to launch at the end of this year. The device, which is designed to replace the aging PSP, boasts two thumbsticks and a 5-inch OLED display. It will come with 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and it will offer vastly improved graphical capabilities, compared with the PSP.
The NGP will arrive at a critical time for Sony. After the PSP first launched in 2004, the device had relatively good sales figures. However, in recent years, demand for the platform has waned, and game development has subsided. Last year, GameStop Senior Vice President Bob McKenzie pointed to PSP titles as the single disappointment of 2010 in the gaming business.
"If I were to pick a disappointment, the only thing would be looking at the number of titles that launched on the PSP format compared to the prior year," McKenzie told video game publication Eurogamer in an interview last year. "I think Sony did a great job two years ago in terms of coming out with a pretty good lineup of PSP offerings, and I didn't see that breadth of titles this year."
But Sony isn't quite ready to give up on the PSP. In February, the company dropped the price of its portable to $129.99 to try to help boost sales. It also added 13 titles, including Assassin's Creed Bloodlines and Dissidia Final Fantasy to its "Greatest Hits" and "Favorites" line of titles.
Sony's Remaster series is quite limited at this point. The company said that Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Version will be the first title to be ported to the PlayStation 3. Sony said that it will begin to roll out the new series in Japan first. It will bring more games and expanded availability around the world at a later point.
The company did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on when Remaster titles will be available in the U.S.

Some devlopers uneasy about Sony's PlayStation Store plans

Crowded release schedule and games giveaway could affect sales
A number of PSN developers have expressed concern over Sony's plans for the return of the PlayStation Store.

According to reports, Sony intends to bring the PlayStation Store back online next Tuesday, May 24, and to release two content updates per week - rather than the usual one - for two weeks in a bid to make up for lost time during the recent PSN outage.

Sony is also offering PSN users two free games as part of a 'Welcome Back' pack, but its plans aren't going down too well with some studios.

"As a developer, I feel very sorry for those teams that did try to release their titles during the PSN outage window," an unnamed developer working on 'a high profile PSN game' told Edge.

"Beyond that, I feel sorry for those that are attempting to launch games in the days following the outage, as there will likely be such a backlog of traffic that it may be hard to be noticed in the flurry of 'get everything back up and running'."

Ilari Kuittinen, CEO of Outland and Dead Nation developer Housemarque, also told the site: "My biggest concern is whether people will come back to use the system and browse the PlayStation Store.

"On top of that, the second issue is that everyone now gets games for free (including our Dead Nation and Super Stardust HD), so people might just play the free games for a while. By the time they are ready to buy something, Outland is maybe old news."

[ Source: Edge ]

PlayStation Network Attacks May Cost Sony $170+ Million

In an earnings statement today, Sony estimated that the costs related to the recent PlayStation Network attacks and subsequent outages may total over $170 million as reported for Sony's fiscal year ending in March 2012. That's far higher than original analyst estimates in the tens of millions.
"Based on information currently available to Sony, our currently known costs associated with the unauthorized network access are estimated to be approximately 14 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012," said a company representative, as reported by Kotaku.
Sony's fiscal year 2011 ends next week and, as reported earlier today, the company is expected to report an annual loss of $3.2 billion.
In other news, it's been revealed that Sony's music business, BMG, had its Greek website hacked back on May 5th, revealing personal information for more than 8,300 user accounts. The attack was recently reported by The Hacker News and relayed by security software maker, Sophos.
That marks the 7th attack on one of Sony's sites recently, according to The Hacker News. Sophos contends that, "As long as it is popular within the hacker community to expose Sony's flaws, we are likely to continue seeing successful attacks against them."
There may be a silver lining, however: "While it's cruel to kick someone while they're down, when this is over, Sony may end up being one of the most secure web assets on the net," says Sophos.
More on TIME.com:
Analyst: PlayStation Network Fiasco Will Be Costly, Change Industry Forever
Sony Internet Provider Hacked, Financial Theft Occurs This Time
Sony's PlayStation Network Apology Package Won't Please Everyone

Sony Hacked Again - Sony Denies It Again

Sony (SNE) (6758) has been hacked again, by persons unknown. Or should that be "yet again"? Not content to allow Sony to lick its PlayStation Network (PSN) wounds, this time, Sony subsidiaries in Greece, Thailand, and Japan fell victim to anonymous hackers (not to be confused with Anonymous hackers, of course ;-). In IT Blogwatch, bloggers can't believe how "unlucky" Sony has become.

On Sunday The Hacker News discovered a database of user information from a Sony BMG site in Greece that was reportedly hacked in early May. The information exposed included passwords, email addresses, and phone numbers, and was posted at pastebin.com. According to THN, someone by the name of "b4d_vipera" claimed ownership of the cyber attack.
The Greek site is the seventh Sony portal hacked in recent weeks following the month-long PlayStation Network outage also caused by a hacker.
This hack was caused by an automated Structured Query Language (SQL) injection, in which a hacker injects a malicious command at the database level.
Sophos senior security advisor Chester Wisniewski advised people to reset their passwords, prepare for phishing attempts, and expect their account information to be in the hands of someone with malicious intent.
"It is nearly impossible to run a totally secure Web presence, especially when you are the size of Sony," Wisniewski wrote. "As long as it is popular within the hacker community to expose Sony's flaws, we are likely to continue seeing successful attacks against them."

This latest Sony woe comes days after a phishing site running off of Sony's servers was discovered. Sony has also had a rough time re-starting the PlayStation Network after weeks of downtime. An influx of users trying to change their passwords last Sunday prompted Sony to temporarily halt the process. A password exploit later took down log-ins, but Sony denied it was a new hack.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Sony's PlayStation Store will return May 24

A crucial piece of Sony's online infrastructure is slated to return on May 24, according to a memo sent to developers and publishers this week. Gaming news site Gamasutra obtained the note on the PlayStation Store, Sony's repository for gaming content and downloadable games.
The store is also a major source of additional revenue for developers, thus its return is highly anticipated. Backlogged content that was supposed to be released during the store's downtime will be made available on a rolling basis over the next few weeks, the note details.
It is also good news for PS3 owners: as part of Sony's "Welcome Back" package, each PSN user will be able to download two free games from a pool of titles that are currently available on the PlayStation Store.
Content originally scheduled to release on April 26 will be made available at launch, followed by the release of content for May 3 three days later. Additional releases will be made on the 31st as well as June 3, which will eliminate the backlog. Some content will be moved up depending on its urgency, Sony told developers.
Such changes will be made on a case by case basis, it said. "We thank you for your patience as we work to resume service of the PlayStation Store," its content manager Jack Osorno wrote in the note. What Osorno did not specify is whether Sony will provide any assistance to those developers who had incurred financial loss as a result of the outage.
One of those developers, Capcom, estimated that its losses as a result of the PSN downtime could cost "hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in revenue that were planned for within our budget."
The PSN outage definitely could make for an interesting time come earnings season. At that time, industry watchers will be able to get their first look at the true costs of the outage -- which likely have sent ripples through the entire gaming industry.

Latest PS3 News

- Hackers Find Another Security Hole in Sony's PlayStation Network

- Sony Denies Fresh PlayStation Network Hack

- PlayStation Network down, again: Sony, get your act together

- Amazon's cloud may have been a cheap platform for PlayStation hack

- How to stay safe on Sony's PlayStation Network

- Playstation Phone - Sony Ericsson Xperia Play: A First Look
Horizontal and vertical views..............

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Detailed Look At The “Welcome Back” Appreciation Program - Playstation Forum Back Up And Members Are Divided

Now that some PSN and Qriocity services have been restored Sony details the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America.
UK Members get a different program as seen HERE.

"We developed the program as an expression of our gratitude for your patience, support and continued loyalty during the service outage. From all of us at PlayStation, thank you and welcome back!
This package will be made available to all existing registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America (US and Canada), and will be made available shortly after we have fully restored the service. More specific details about these offers and eligibility requirements will be posted as the services go live."
All PlayStation Network customers can select two PS3 games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

inFAMOUS

Released in Q2 of 2009 this is a great game choice if you don't already own it. Infamous 2, is due out June 7, 2011

Dead Nation

LittleBigPlanet

Super Stardust HD

Wipeout HD + Fury

Reminds me of the PS2 Game HSX: Hypersonic.Xtreme

For PSP owners, you will be eligible to download two PSP games from the following list. The games will be available for 30 days shortly after PlayStation Store is restored and can be kept forever.

LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
ModNation Racers
Pursuit Force
Killzone Liberation

A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.

To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

We’d like to thank all of our publishing and development partners who’ve contributed to the Welcome Back program, including Bigbig Studios, Codeglue, Digital Leisure, Guerilla Games, Heavy Water, Housemarque, Lockwood, Loot, Mass Media, Media Molecule, SCE Cambridge Studios, SCE Studio Liverpool, SCE San Diego Studios, and Sucker Punch Productions. We couldn’t have created such a compelling package without them!

As a reminder, you will be able to access the above content shortly after services are fully restored. We are doing everything we can to make that happen as soon as possible. Please visit the following sites for more information about the Welcome Back program in Europe and Latin America.
_______________________________________________________________________
PSN Forum Re-Opening Shows Members Are Divided About Their View Of Sony

Example of some differences of opinion:

Member:
PSN,
I am one of the more devoted PSN fans, I am quite apalled at the way some of members have acted in the past three weeks, since you have lost services. I read many of the comments left, and if I am to be ashamed it would be that I am part of a network where the users seem so ungrateful, and I would like to say thank you all at PSN, for continuing your quest to bring us an even better and stronger network. I don't really care about the free package, all I want is to be able to use my codes that I recieved with my purchase of Mortal Kombat, as well as my other titles, and again I want to say thanks to all of you at PSN and Qriocity keep up the excellent work. PSN -

Member:
i agree. it sucked not being able to play. but it is a privledge not a law that we are allowed to play. so if there is a problem as there was then we should be thankful it got fixed so we can continue to play. just my two cents.

Member:

I couldn't disagree more. I thought this was a joke. You are thanking Sony? You think it was down for 3 weeks? It was down for six weeks and it's down right now. It was up for almost a day but I can't log-in right now.

A small group of 7th to 10th graders attacked Sony and even warned them ahead of time and Sony still couldn't stop them. Once it was hacked, they didn't know what to do. They lied to us until they realized they couldn't hide or deny it anymore and THEN said, 'Oh, by they way, your personal information was compromised and is in the hand of criminals and we knew that for over a week now.'

Yeah, gaming is a right...because we paid for it. We paid over $300 for a PS3, an extra $80 for an HDMI cable and controller, remote, etc. and $60 a game. I have 51 games. That's $3,060 in games. This is my 2nd PS3 because the 1st one was bricked and I have had to buy 4 controllers now. That's over $4,000 after tax I have paid to play and you guys think that it's a privilege and we should be grateful? I'm guessing your parents pay for your games.

This is the largest breach of security in history and you are thanking Sony. That's insane.
I haven't been whining and complaining at all but to come out and thank Sony when we can't even log-on right now just nuts.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

PSN is Back Up

Green Light is On -- Sony PlayStation Network Returns in US

EDIT - Once you turn your PS3 on it will require an update that installs in about 2 minutes. The go to log-in. It will say Password has expired, create new password. The password should have at least 4 numbers, several letters (at least one capitalized) and at least one character (!@#$%&*) Retype the password and you're good to go. Tip - Save the password on your computer, in an email not associated with your PS3 account and print out the password, cut it out and scotch tape it to your PS3 or under a PS3 remote. Example of a strong password: ?lACpAs56IKMs" For more password tips go HERE and HERE.

Gamers: Power on. Servers up and faster than ever.
That's right. After an embarrassing breach that compromised millions of users' personal information, Sony has switched back on the PlayStation Network in the U.S. It also is resuming its Qriocity service, which offers access to streaming video and music on a variety of Sony devices.
A map posted by Sony shows the status of PlayStation Network across the country, and recently all states were illuminated green for go.

There still may be some kinks, so Sony is asking gamers to be patient if their service is not fully restored right away. That's because it can take the network's servers a little while to populate.
For most people, getting back online should be a snap.
As soon as you connect to the network, you will be prompted to download a software update for your PlayStation. The update carries version number 3.61. You will be asked to change your password as a precaution. Then you should be ready to go.
Sony isn't taking any chances after users' personal passwords, emails and credit card information were compromised. It is providing affected U.S. users with a year's worth of free identity theft services from security firm Debrix, including a $1 million insurance policy.
PlayStation Network players also get one month of free service, and several in-game bonuses and currency in a welcome back pack for several popular gaming titles [full list].
For more information on the outage, check out PC World's PlayStation Network Hack Timeline and The Survival Guide.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Latest PSN Headlines - Sony's New Deadlline, May 31st.

Sony Promises PSN “Fully” Restored by May 31st

Report: Sony may have stopped third attack

Sony reported to be considering bounty for PSN attack

Reputation of PlayStation, Sony brands take a hit‎

PlayStation 3 (PS3) Fans Prepare for Mutiny‎

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Latest PS3 News

- Nearly three weeks on after the PlayStation Network (PSN) went down, Sony says it's removed online details of more than 2,000 people who had their accounts hacked into.
- PlayStation Network still down: Sony has 'begun' restoring service ...
- PlayStation Network Down Indefinitely -- Again‎
- Playstation Network still down as more attacks expected‎
- Sony Ponders Reward Offer as It Insists PSN's Security was Up-to-Date‎

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Sony Delays Game Network Restart Due To Hack File Found And Hacker Chatter Of An Instant Attack Upon Network Restoration

Delay of service restoration was instated after a hacking file discovered in the PSN by investigators was named "Anonymous" with the words "We are Legion", part of the Anonymous motto. In addition to this monitoring of the hacking groups communication uncovered a plan to immediately attack the Playstation Network once service was restored this weekend. There are trillions of data files in an intricate system that makes up the PlayStation Network and Qriocity. It's a daunting task to look through all of the data. Sony has hired the best investigators and white-hat hackers to determine what dangers still remain, vulnerabilities and the names and locations of every member of "Anonymous." It's rumored that at least one member is a plant working for Sony.

This is an international group committing very serious crimes deemed by some countries as an act of terrorism. For Sony it's a matter of honor that will be handled with swift justice and dealt with Soviet efficiency. The FBI has leads and are believed to be prepared to treat the matter as an act of terrorism. On 9-11 the terrorists intentions were to attack the financial pillars of the US, this attack has already cost more than the attacks on that day, not just for every country that has Sony's service but the already rippled Japan that is still suffering from the recent earthquake and subsequent nuclear disasters.

Sony's PlayStation Network has been offline since April 20 thanks to a sophisticated cyber attack. Earlier this week, Sony told members of Congress that one of its Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) servers contained a file called "Anonymous" with the words "We Are Legion," the group's tagline. In response, Anonymous said it has never engaged in credit card theft, and said that many of its corporate adversaries engage in activities far more ethically suspect than Anonymous.
Barrett Brown, a sometimes spokesman for Anonymous, reiterated those thoughts in his Friday op-ed. "The circumstances of this incident are highly suspicious," he wrote.
It wouldn't be very smart for members of Anonymous to put their calling cards on the Sony servers, so "any investigation into the crime in question must take into account the natural question of who might benefit from such an act—in other words, a party or parties who would have an interest in smearing Anonymous," he wrote.
Two veteran Anonymous members, however, tell the Financial Times that recent online activity suggests that Anonymous might be responsible for the attack after all. One member said Anonymous members discussed technical details of a Sony PlayStation network vulnerability in a chatroom shortly before the hack.
"The hacker that did this was supporting OpSony's movements," the Anonymous activist told the FT, referring to Anonymous's recent campaign against Sony for its prosecution of PS3 hackers.
Last month, Anonymous attacked Sony-branded Web sites to protest Sony's lawsuits. An Anonymous offshoot known as "SonyRecon" also targeted individual Sony employees.
The FT's second source pointed out that the splintered nature of Anonymous makes it possible that one member conducted the attack even if other members did not support it or know about it.
"If you say you are Anonymous, and do something as Anonymous, then Anonymous did it," the hacker said.
Brown shifted his focus to companies that he said routinely lie and distort facts to bring down their enemies. "The FBI spent two decades operating a programme called COINTELPRO, by which agents would infiltrate 'dangerous' groups, such as those advocating civil rights, and then promote violence by its members in order to discredit their cause in the eyes of the public and justify police crackdowns," he wrote.
Brown acknowledged that Anonymous participates in cyber attacks, but said the group "does so against dictatorships and corrupt institutions that engage in corruption alongside the state—and when we do, the FBI raids the homes of our alleged participants."
In January, the FBI said it executed more than 40 search warrants throughout the U.S. related to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against companies that withdrew their support for WikiLeaks. British police also arrested five Anonymous members for their alleged involvement in those DDoS attacks.
Hacking Sony's network and stealing credit card information, however is a "major crime entirely different from the campaigns of civil disobedience for which we are rightfully known," Brown said. "Sony has thus managed to shift attention away from its own failure to protect client data, while federal agencies have been diverted into a pursuit of us, this time for a massive theft rather than popular acts of revolt."
In its letter to Congress, Sony said it had not yet identified who hacked into its systems.

Hackers may be plotting weekend attack against Sony

As Sony is in the final stages of getting the PlayStation Network back online, a new threat may be emerging. People with knowledge of the IRC chat room where hackers have been congregating to discuss the attacks are discussing a new effort, CNET reported late Thursday.
This news comes amid word from Sony that it had entered "the final stages of internal testing of the new system," likely indicating PSN would be back up in a matter of days. The issue also has prompted a letter from Sony chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer, who reiterated that the company was working "around the clock" on the issue.
Regardless of the company's work, if CNET's sources are correct efforts to return the network to normal operations could be severely hampered. The chatters apparently claim they have access to Sony's servers, meaning engineers working on the issue may not have the hole completely closed.
More worrisome is what the hackers are threatening to do with this break in: they plan to publicly release some or all of the data they steal which includes personal data and credit card information. If that occurs, the potential for fraud would increase dramatically since the data would be more easily obtained.
Anonymous again denied any culpability in the breach yesterday after Sony pointed the blame back at them in a response to congressional inquiry. If the weekend hack does happen -- Anonymous may find itself answering new questions about its involvement.
It is unknown what group (if any) the hackers in the IRC chat are associated with. But the threat could potentially be a devastating blow to Sony's efforts to manage the situation -- which Sony has repeatedly stressed that it has under control.

Friday, May 6, 2011

All PSN Users To Get One Year of Free ‘AllClear ID Plus’ Identity Theft Protection in the United States through Debix, Inc.

From Sony:
Last weekend, Sony Computer Entertainment announced that we will provide complimentary enrollment in an identity theft protection program. Here are the details of this program for PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders in the United States only. We are working to make similar programs available in other countries/territories where applicable. Information will be posted on local websites/blogs when available.
Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International have made arrangements with Debix, Inc., one of the industry’s most reputable identity protection firms, to offer AllClear ID Plus at no cost to PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders for 12 months from the time an account holder registers for the program.
Please note that we will start sending out activation emails for this program over the next few days, and you will have until June 18th to sign-up and redeem your code. You will need to sign up directly through AllClearID, not on Sony’s websites, and details, including step-by-step instructions for the program, will be emailed to United States PSN and Qriocity Account holders soon.
The details of the program include, but are not limited to:

Cyber monitoring and surveillance of the Internet to detect exposure of an AllClear ID Plus customer’s personal information, including monitoring of criminal web sites and data recovered by law enforcement. If his/her personal information is found, the customer will be alerted by phone and/or email and will be provided advice and support regarding protective steps to take. The customer will also receive monthly identity status reports. Debix works with an alliance of cyber-crime experts from the government, academia and industry to provide these services.
Priority access to licensed private investigators and identity restoration specialists. If an AllClear ID Plus customer receives an alert, or otherwise suspects that he/she may be the victim of identity theft, the customer can speak directly, on a priority basis, with an on-staff licensed private investigator, who will conduct a comprehensive inquiry. In the case of an identity theft, the customer can work with an identity restoration specialist to contact creditors and others, and take necessary steps to restore the customer’s identity.
A $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user to provide additional protection in the event that an AllClear ID Plus customer becomes a victim of identity theft. This insurance would provide financial relief of up to $1 million for covered identity restoration costs, legal defense expenses, and lost wages that occur within 12 months after the stolen identity event.

More information will be available on the enrollment page, a link which will be included in the email you will receive.
We continue to work around the clock to have some PlayStation Network services and Qriocity services restored, and will be providing you specific details shortly.
Thank you.

Service Restoration Update

From Sony.........

As you may know, we’ve begun the process of restoring the service through internal testing of the new system. We’re still working to confirm the security of the network infrastructure, as well as working with a variety of outside entities to confirm with them of the security of the system. Verifying the system security is vital for the process of restoration. Additional comprehensive system checks and testing are still required, and we must complete that process before bringing the systems online.
As you’ve heard us say, our utmost priorities are the security of the network and ensuring your data is safe. We won’t restore the services until we can test the system’s strength in these respects.
When we held the press conference in Japan last week, based on what we knew, we expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system. We know many of you are wanting to play games online, chat with your friends and enjoy all of the services PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer, and trust me when I say we’re doing everything we can to make it happen. We will update you with more information as soon as we have it. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience of this network outage.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Lastest PSN News - Sony Says Anonymous Is Responsible For Hack

- PlayStation hack: Sony blames Anonymous hacktivists
- Justice Department probes hacker attack at Sony's PlayStation network
- Did Anonymous Hack Sony's PlayStation Network or Not?
- PlayStation Network still offline while Sony rethinks security
- Anonymous denies involvement in Playstation Network credit card theft scandal
(Wouldn't you? Their Hackers, not al-Qaeda) You can find a timeline for the Playstation Network outage and credit card information theft scandal HERE, courtesy of VentureBeat’s gaming guru Dean Takahashi. You can also find a full copy of the press release -----> HERE.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Latest PS3 News - PSN To Be Back Online By Friday

- PlayStation Network back online? Almost.
"So when is the Sony PlayStation Network coming back online? This week, probably. At the same press conference, which was held at Sony HQ in Tokyo, Sony exec Kazuo Hirai apologized to gamers, and promised that the PSN would be live again by Friday. When the network does return, Hirai added, according to eWeek, it will return stronger and safer than ever."

- Sony enlists cyber-security firms
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- Senator: Sony's response on breaches 'unacceptable'
- Ontario woman suing Sony over PlayStation breach; seeks $1B in class action
- Sony's PlayStation, Entertainment Network Breaches: 10 Possible Results

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