• TECHNOLOGY
• MAY 2, 2011
Hackers Breach Second Sony Service
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704436004576299491191920416.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
By IAN SHERR
Sony Corp. said computer hackers breached security for a second online service,
gaining access to personal information for 24.6 million customer accounts as
part of a broader attack on the company that has compromised data for more than
100 million accounts.
Sony reports another videogame data breach, this time affecting Sony Online
Entertainment after hackers targeted its PlayStation system last month. WSJ's
Andrew LaVallee and Jake Lee discuss the implications for the electronics giant.
Sony Online Entertainment, a San Diego-based subsidiary that makes multiplayer
games for personal computers, said it shut down its services Monday amid
concerns a hacker may have accessed names, birth dates and addresses for its
users.
The company said it doesn't believe credit-card information on those accounts
was accessed, but said hackers may have stolen credit-card data for about
12,700 non-U.S. accounts and 10,700 bank-account numbers from an "outdated
database from 2007."
The company, which has come under fire for its handling of the security breach,
said it detected the latest intrusion early May 2, Tokyo time, as part of an
ongoing investigation of the attacks.
On April 20, the company shut down its PlayStation Network, which lets console
owners play against each other online. It later disclosed that a hacker had
stolen names, birth dates and possibly credit-card numbers from 77 million
accounts on the network.
Sony said the shutdown of Sony Online Entertainment, which hosts the popular
"EverQuest" role-playing game, followed an intrusion on April 16 and April 17.
Reuters
Sony Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai at a news conference to apologize
for a massive security breach of its PlayStation Network in Tokyo on May 1.
"We temporarily took down [Sony Online Entertainment's] services as part of our
continued investigation into the external intrusion that occurred in April,"
said Michele Sturdivant, a spokeswoman. "This is not a second attack."
The shutdown is the latest black eye for the Japanese electronics giant, whose
executives apologized Sunday for the original breach in a hastily called news
conference and unveiled measures to bolster security.
Sony executives said its online services have been under cyberattack for the
past six weeks and they weren't sure what its attackers were seeking. The
company is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to probe the
attacks.
The attacks have resulted in the loss of a significant amount of personal
information that could be used in identity theft and have prompted inquiries
from members of Congress.
Sony declined Monday to testify before the congressional committee on energy
and commerce, according to Ken Johnson, a spokesman for Rep. Mary Bono Mack
(R., Calif.), who sent a letter to Sony last week.
However, the company has agreed to provide written answers Tuesday to
questions, he said.
"While we certainly understand the company's going through a difficult period,
millions of American consumers are twisting in the wind and we are determined
to get answers for them," Mr. Johnson said.
Sony said it is cooperating with the request.
The high-profile attacks come as videogames increasingly add online
functionality. Tens of millions of gamers now spend hours using the online
hubs, representing millions of dollars in potential revenue for an industry
still recovering from the recession.
Separately, Sony's U.S. unit said Monday reports the hackers had tried to
blackmail the company by selling millions of allegedly stolen credit card
numbers back were untrue.
"To my knowledge there is no truth to this report of a list, or that Sony was
offered an opportunity to purchase the list," Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold
said in a statement.
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