Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Sony offering free identity theft coverage for PS3 users]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/sony-offering-free-identity-theft-coverage-for-ps3-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/sony-offering-free-identity-theft-coverage-for-ps3-users/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/sony-offering-free-identity-theft-coverage-for-ps3-users/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sony has officially announced specifics of the complimentary identity theft protection program it's extending to customers in the wake of its well-publicized security breach. Corporate communications director Patrick Seybold outlines the details in a new post on the official PlayStation blog.

Sony has partnered with Debix, Inc., and gamers will be able to take advantage of the latter company's AllClearID Plus program for 12 months at no cost. Sony will be sending out activation emails over the next few days, and you'll need to redeem your code by June 18th to participate.

Seybold notes that this program is only valid for account holders in the United States, and Sony is currently "working to make similar programs available in other countries/territories." The AllClearID Plus program includes cyber monitoring and surveillance designed to detect exposure of personal information, priority access to licensed investigators and ID restoration specialists, and a $1 million insurance policy.

MassivelySony offering free identity theft coverage for PS3 users originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>allclearidallclearid-plusdata-theftdebixdebix-incid-theftid-theft-programid-theft-protectionmmo-industrypatrick-seyboldplaystation-blogplaystation3psnsonySony-Computer-EntertainmentSony-Computer-Entertainment-Americasony-hackFri, 06 May 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A second breach of Sony's internet security? [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/a-second-breach-of-sonys-internet-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/a-second-breach-of-sonys-internet-security/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/02/a-second-breach-of-sonys-internet-security/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We have all heard that Sony's PlayStation Network was compromised nearly two weeks ago. The online services for the PlayStation 3 have yet to recover or come back online since the incident. This morning, Sony's PR director Patrick Seybold claimed that there was no truth to the rumor that credit card information was stolen by hackers. However, SOE cautioned gamers to be vigilant nonetheless.

It has now come to light via Nikkei.com that there was a reported second security infraction in Sony's gaming network. Nikkei claims that nearly 12,700 credit card numbers were stolen from Sony Online Entertainment this past Sunday in a second attack. As we reported this morning, all SOE sites have been brought offline because of "an issue that warrants enough concern for [SOE] to take the service down effective immediately," according the the site.

Michele Sturdivant, a spokeswoman for Sony, countered this allegation in The Wall Street Journal. "We temporarily took down SOE's services as part of our continued investigation into the external intrusion that occurred in April," Sturdivant affirmed. "This is not a second attack."

[Update: SOE has posted a security update to The Station.com. "We are today advising you that the personal information you provided us in connection with your SOE account may have been stolen in a cyber-attack. Stolen information includes, to the extent you provided it to us, the following: name, address (city, state, zip, country), email address, gender, birthdate, phone number, login name and hashed password." The notice further suggests that "information from an outdated database from 2007 containing approximately 12,700 non-US customer credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes) and about 10,700 direct debit records listing bank account numbers of certain customers in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Spain may have also been obtained" but that the "main credit card database" was not compromised in the attack. It appears this is part of the larger PSN attacks and not a separate security breach.]

MassivelyA second breach of Sony's internet security? [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 02 May 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>credit-cardhackersMichele-Sturdivantpatrick-seyboldPlayStation-NetworksecuritySOESonySony-Online-EntertainmentMon, 02 May 2011 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Network credit card info appears to be safe: 'No unauthorized activity relating to Sony']]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-credit-card-info-appears-to-be-safe-no-una/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It looks like the beleaguered Sony finally caught a break. The company, which has struggled for over a week following a hacker attack that stole massive amounts of player information, says that it looks as though user credit card information remains secure and encrypted. It turns out that Sony had encrypted some personal info but not all of it.

Gamespot also reports that several financial companies, including MasterCard, WellsFargo and American Express, have witnessed "no unauthorized activity relating to Sony."

Sony's Patrick Seybold passed along the positive news: "The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card data was taken. The personal data table, which is a separate data set, was not encrypted, but was, of course, behind a very sophisticated security system that was breached in a malicious attack."

Sony's PlayStation Network is still offline while it's rebuilt with a higher level of security. The company saw its shares drop 4.5% today on the Tokyo exchange to $27.71.

MassivelyPlayStation Network credit card info appears to be safe: 'No unauthorized activity relating to Sony' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>american-expressars-technicacredit-cardcredit-card-infogamespothackhackedhackerhacker-attackhackersidentity-theftmastercardPatrick-Seyboldplaystation-networksoesonysony-online-entertainmentwellsfargoThu, 28 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[SOE working on a "make good plan" for its customers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/soe-working-on-make-good-plan-for-its-customers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/soe-working-on-make-good-plan-for-its-customers/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/soe-working-on-make-good-plan-for-its-customers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In the wake of the uproar following Sony's announcement regarding customer data theft, the company has continued working to repair the damage and communicate with its customers.

The latest information includes an FAQ on the incident as well as another announcement from Linda "Brasse" Carlson:
We apologize for any inconvenience players may have experienced as a result of the recent service interruption. As a global leader in online gaming, SOE is committed to delivering stable and entertaining games for players of all ages.

To thank players for their patience, we will be hosting special events this weekend across our game portfolio, including a Double Station Cash day on Saturday, April 30th. We are also working on a "make good" plan for players of the PS3 versions of DC Universe Online and Free Realms. Details will be available soon on the individual game websites and forums.
In addition to the general FAQ and announcement, senior director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold updated the Playstation blog to clarify the reasons behind the delay in communicating information on this incident to customers. Keep an eye on Massively for more details on the make good plan as they become available.

MassivelySOE working on a "make good plan" for its customers originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brassedc-universe-onlinedcuofree-realmslinda-carlsonpatrick-seyboldplaystation-networkplaystation-network-outageplaystation-network-shutdownps3psnsoesonySony-Online-EntertainmentWed, 27 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Network data thefts confirmed [Updated]]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/26/playstation-network-data-thefts-confirmed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/26/playstation-network-data-thefts-confirmed/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/26/playstation-network-data-thefts-confirmed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

As we reported over the weekend, Sony has acknowledged an external intrusion into its network, one that caused the company to shut down operations of its website and other online services including the PlayStation Network. The PSN issues affected Sony Online Entertainment MMOs such as Free Realms and DC Universe Online. Although the network shutdown was inconvenient, there appeared to be no actual threat to the players themselves. However, that may have changed.

Senior Communications Director Patrick Seybold posted an advisory on the PlayStation blog earlier today. He assures customers that everything should be fully operational again by the end of the week. However, in light of possible leaked personal information, Seybold issued this warning in an email message to registered account holders:
For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.
For all the details, we encourage you to check out the full blog post on the PlayStation site, and then keep honed in on Massively as more information comes to light.

[Thanks, Lizzy, for the tip.]

[Update: SOE has emphasized that the company believes no personal information for players of its non-PSN PC Station MMOs was compromised.]

MassivelyPlayStation Network data thefts confirmed [Updated] originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dc-universe-onlineDCUOfree-realmshacksleaksPatrick-SeyboldPlayStation-NetworksonySony-Online-Entertainmentsony-playstationTue, 26 Apr 2011 18:00:00 EST