Sony hacked for a second time
By Chris Taylor
03/05/2011
Sony have announced a second major breach of security for users of their online gaming services - just two weeks after the last.
Once again, the gaming giant has admitted that personal details such as names, addresses, emails, birth dates and phone numbers could be in the hands of hackers who have infiltrated their Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) servers.
The Daily Mail additionally reports that up to 23,400 financial records from an outdated 2007 database could be in the hands of criminals. This includes bank details from 10,700 customers in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
In the last breach, against the Playstation Network, 77 million users are thought to have had their account data compromised. In both cases, these services are required for computer gamers to play online against one another, and to download extra content for their games.
The Japanese company are now likely to invest in new network management solutions to change the architecture of both networks. This will include beefed-up security that will eliminate any current vulnerabilities in their systems. It is essential for consumer confidence that the company makes their new systems extremely secure against any future attack.
According to The Guardian, a Sony spokeswoman said there was no evidence that the information obtained has been used in any illegal activities.
In a message to Sony customers, the company said: "We had previously believed that SOE customer data had not been obtained in the cyber-attacks on the company, but on May 1 we concluded that SOE account information may have been stolen and we are notifying you as soon as possible."
