Hackers Planning Third Strike Against Sony, CEO Offers $1 Million Apology
Hackers Planning Third Strike Against Sony, CEO Offers $1 Million Apology
Posted 05/06/2011 at 8:53am
| by Paul Lilly
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This just keeps getting uglier. In a letter to Congress, Sony blamed the notorious vigilante group Anonymous for recent cyberattacks on Sony's network, exposing personal data of more than 100 million gamers. Anonymous was quick to deny involvement, simply stating, "Let's be clear, we are legion, but it wasn't us. You are incompetent Sony." Whether or not that's true, Sony hopes to find out in an ongoing investigation, but in the meantime, at least one more attack appears imminent.
CNet claims to have exclusively learned that another wave of cyberattacks against Sony in retaliation for its handling of the PlayStation Network breach is forthcoming within the next couple of days.
"An observer of the Internet Relay Chat channel used by the hackers told CNet today that a third major attack is planned this weekend against Sony's website," CNet reports.
According to CNet, this band of hackers said they plan on making public all or some of the information they're able to swipe from Sony's servers. That means customer names, addresses, and yes, even credit card numbers.
This whole thing has been a PR nightmare for Sony, which is still trying to figure out how best to handle the situation. In a blog post today, Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO, and President of Sony USA, apologized for the security breaches and announced a $1 million insurance policy per user.
"I know this has been a frustrating time for all of you. Let me assure you that the resources of this company have been focused on investigating the entire nature and impact of the cyberattack we’ve all experienced and on fixing it," Stringer said in a statement. "We are absolutely dedicated to restoring full and safe service as soon as possible and rewarding you for your patience. We will settle for nothing less. To date, there is no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. We are also moving ahead with plans to help protect our customers from identity theft around the world. A program for U.S. PlayStation Network and Qriocity customers that includes a $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user was launched earlier today and announcements for other regions will be coming soon."
You can read the rest of the letter here.
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May 10, 2011 at 10:55am
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stevinp
May 08, 2011 at 8:42pm
A lot of Sony haters here, just don't buy/use their products. As far as the hackers go, would you feel the same about them if they were attacking your Bank because they didn't like the banks policies? Imagine a DDOS that takes down all your banks teller machines, and servers that hold account information. You would have no access to your money, and they would have all your account information. Still think it is ok for the hackers to do what they are doing?????
bling581
May 09, 2011 at 9:55am
"A lot of Sony haters here, just don't buy/use their products."
A common response from those who just don't get it. What about all the people who already purchased a PS3 prior to getting ripped off? Another typical comment I see is "nobody uses OtherOS anyways, so who cares?". It's not about what features they removed or how many people actually used them. It's the idea that they advertised certain features to attract customers and later removed them from the device. I don't care how small or large, popular or unpopular they are. No company has any right to do such a thing to consumers. When you pay for something at the checkout it becomes your property.
pistoffuser
May 08, 2011 at 12:20pm
Why doesn't sony just unplug the entire Playstation Network from the net? at least until they figure out how whoever is getting in and figure out a way to block them? Just a thought. I know that they would lose alot in revenue, but at least no more information would be lost or stolen.
RUSENSITIVESWEETNESS
May 07, 2011 at 3:52pm
I wonder how these guys will fare in federal prison? No doubt they can hold their own against murderers and rapists.
Don't drop the soap....
Kinetic
May 07, 2011 at 12:38pm
I've been as critical as any about the way Sony was handling this, but I'm glad to see them stepping up and offering users who trusted their personal information to the company a program like this. It's nice to see a step in the right direction.
drcrazyrich
May 06, 2011 at 7:52pm
SONY SUX THE BIG ONE AND THIS PROVES IT !! .THEY VE BEEN SHAFTING ALL ITS USERS AND BREAKING PRIVACY LAWS OBTAINING IP ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE GOING TO A HACKERS WEB SITE .THEY HAVE STEPPED OVER THIER BOUNDERIES AND NOW GETTING SOME PAY BACK .SONY WAS ACTING LIKE A SPOILED BRAT AND NOW THEY RE NOT GETTING THEIR OWN WAY.I AM HOW EVER SORRY FOR ITS CUSTOMERS GETTING JACKED IN THE PROCESS BUT IF SONY GETS AWAY WITH BEING A $$$ BULLY THEN THOSE HACKERS SHOULDNT GET PUNISHED UNLESS SONY DOES .KOMSEE KOMSAA
Neufeldt2002
May 06, 2011 at 10:47pm
In case you were not aware, using all caps is the equivalent of yelling or screaming in a comment or forum post. If you are aware of this, then why are you yelling?
Please make publish to facebook opt-in, not opt-out.
TRYER
May 06, 2011 at 5:43pm
I don't mind when Anonymous uses Ddos attacks on a ignorant company or show the company's their weak security. But when they start advertising other peoples names, addresses and card information... All they are hurting is themselves.
THE_REAL_MAVERICK
May 06, 2011 at 11:13pm
Your logic is wack here. Hacking into someones company even an ignorant one is like your neighbor that you have never met before, walking into your house uninvited and looking through all your stuff.
cpuking2010
May 06, 2011 at 3:40pm
Sony can only blame them selves for this, they should have just left that kid alone; this is what happens when you piss off people who know more about security then you do. Who wants to play some xbox LIVE?
tony2tonez
May 06, 2011 at 1:26pm
Maybe when they catch these guys, they should be beaten. Forget jail i dont want to pay tax dollars for them to sit there and learn nothing, with better health care then me. Have Sony hire hit squad like MOSSAD. Break a few hands, chop something off. Kinda the way people use to learn a lesson before doing it again.
The fight between ANON and SONY does win public support for either. SONY had flaws so whether it was ANON or another group; are stopping MILLIONs (Including myself from playing) now someone have my info out there, i dont care for name and address. But credit card information is taking it to another level.
Whats the MOB doing? im sure they could pickup some extra work.
warptek2010
May 08, 2011 at 12:08am
I am sure I would feel that way against violent criminals like rapists, child abductors and pedophiles. But you would do all that for Sony? You could simply cancel your credit cards and get new ones issued. An inconvenience, I'm sure but not such a big deal to warrant the spilling of blood.
kixofmyg0t
May 06, 2011 at 4:35pm
Here's a good quote from this article...
"The group has also claimed attacks on the Motion Picture Association of American, the Recording Industry Association of America, U.S. Copyright Office and PayPal, Visa and Mastercard, the warrant said."
Let me stress these words.
"PayPal, Visa and Mastercard"
Anon DOES attack places that hold your credit card information. Why? So they can steal it. They are cyber terrorists plain and simple.
Neufeldt2002
May 06, 2011 at 10:43am
"According to CNet, this band of hackers said they plan on making public all or some of the information they're able to swipe from Sony's servers. That means customer names, addresses, and yes, even credit card numbers."
IMHO This to me sounds like the branch of Anon that was targeting Sony employees. What a better way to make Sony pay then to have the customers turn on them. I truly hope that they can track these "people" (and I use the term loosely) down and give them lengthy prison terms and have to pay restitution.
Please make publish to facebook opt-in, not opt-out.
I Jedi
May 06, 2011 at 12:29pm
I disagree with you, and yes, in a Republic, it is a general practice that people can and will exercise free speech, so please don't get upset. Anyway, I disagree with the idea of putting these people in jail and having them pay restitution. Instead, ban them for life from ever using a computer again. Obviously this is damn near next to impossible to enforce, as you can't watch someone 24/7. I just don't think funneling tax payers money for them to sit in jail, eat, sleep, and watch a t.v. with 30 other men, and having them pay back money they'll never ever be able to pay back is punishment. Not only are they going to be in debt for the rest of their lives, and the jail sentence would just cost tax payer dollars, nothing would be solved. Perhaps punishment would be forced to apologize to every single family that was affected by this either in person or by phone. I certainly know I wouldn't try something like that again if I had to meet/call 30,000 (I know, this is not the total affected) pissed off people at me. Of course, I'm sure everyone's going to call me an idiot now, and say that our current system for punishing criminals is the best way.
**EDIT**
To those about to say, "This affects millions of people; how can he ever call them all?" I'm only advocating towards the ones who actually had illegitimate purchases made after the fact that Sony lost the data. Not to mention that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people switching out their credit card numbers right now.
Kuvasza
May 06, 2011 at 1:51pm
I don't think that any one in the real world is going to subscribe to this "send them to their rooms and take away their games for a week" approach. Publishing customer information is a serious crime (SOX compliance engineers don't make a fortune for nothing). Collaboration among these morons makes it a RICO act. The numbers start to add up really quick and the units are years spent in federal prison, not days until mommy and daddy give you back your Transformers.
Setting that aside, are these morons so stupid that they announce they're going to commit a criminal act in advance, notify the press, and then discuss it in a public chat room? What are these, the dumbest criminals in existence?
If CNET can hop into an IRC chat and observe this, odds are decent the FBI can, as well. As can Sony. These idiots keep raising the stakes and they're clearly not serious actors. They're ego-driven sociopaths. Can they do damage? Yes. Is this a terrific strategy for getting a wardrobe of orange jumpsuits? Hell yes.
No one has the time or sympathy for this nonsense any more. Identity theft is not a game and publishing the information makes these morons complicit in all the crimes that follow. It would be like standing on a corner, handing a gun to the first thug that walks by and then going to jail because he used it to stick up a 7-11 or going to the gas chamber because he killed a cop with it. Yes, all you did was publish customer information and it was the next guy who stole their identity and ruined their credit... you get their crime added to yours).
The jails are filled with people we'd save money not having to put in prison. Unfortunately they keep committing crimes.
bling581
May 06, 2011 at 10:02am
Sony is too quick to blame Anon because of a single file they found on their servers. It's just another poor action by a bad company. I personally don't think they did it but now because they're being blamed by Sony and brought into the spotlight they decided it was time to carry out their own attack.
I Jedi
May 06, 2011 at 10:05am
Sony isn't blaming Anonymous. If you bothered to read the statement Sony sent off to Congress, you would realize that it said Sony found evidence that it MAY have been Anonymous. Don't listen to journalist, etc, who say that Sony did blame Anonymous, as these people are seeking readers.
Lipman42
May 06, 2011 at 9:56am
These people need to get the Bin Laden treatment! How about they pay for all the damages then very long jail sentances. This is not just hacking this Terrorism.
Like the other poster, I am a PC Gamer so not vested intrest in this other than it is wrong.
keyboardJuice
May 06, 2011 at 10:46am
All of you morons claiming terrorism over this issue deserve to have your hands chopped off every time you run a red light or jaywalk. If some smart kid that exposes a flawed system ought to be sent to Guantanamo then under the same rules you would have to be punished. Kindda sounds like Taliban rule, doesn't it ?
BETAnut
May 06, 2011 at 10:07am
ter·ror·ism [ter-uh-riz-uhm] -noun 1.the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce,especially for political purposes. 2.the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization. 3.a terroristic method of governing or of resisting agovernment.
In what ways is this act causing fear, submission or involving violence?
I Jedi
May 06, 2011 at 10:03am
Perhaps you can explain why this is a terrorist act? Inciting fear amongst Sony by stealing millions of credit card numbers? Shit, if terrorism can be included to robbing and stealing people's information/money, I can't wait to see how terrorism can be applied next.
THE_REAL_MAVERICK
May 06, 2011 at 9:24am
wow, this is insane. US officials need to track down anyone involved. I consider this grand theft per hacker and should either get the death penalty or life sentance for this crime. I don't tolerate theft as easily as most people do. Funny thing is I don't even like playstation nor do I own a console. I just don't like anyone who hurts other people on purpose.
BETAnut
May 06, 2011 at 10:02am
The US has no power over this, Sony is being hacked at their mainframe that holds all this information, in Japan.
P.S. theft is part of life
Red Ensign
May 06, 2011 at 11:34am
Too bad for you then that Sony already has the US FBI involved and they can and will do something about it. Want to put $1000 on the FBI having one or more of these small time internet superstar wannabees in custody within 12 months from now? Sony has a US business division so like it or not, the US feds are involved and no amount of ignorant crying can change that cold hard fact. PS Going to federal prison for theft is also a fact of life.
I Jedi
May 06, 2011 at 9:58am
You think people should get the death penalty for robbing someone else? Damn, I'm happy you're not a judge.
TheUnseen
May 06, 2011 at 6:04pm
In Texas its still legal to shoot someone if they steal your horse. Just sayin...
Inxanity
May 06, 2011 at 9:22am
This seems all fine and well for PS3 players, but what about those of us who play Sony's MMOs? Our information was hacked as well and we haven't been able to play our games since sunday. We can't even get in to edit our account information. Will we recieve the same $1 million identity theft protection? Or are we on our own?
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