Πρόκειται μια από τις μεγαλύτερες διαδικτυακές εισβολές στα χρονικά, που υπολογίζεται ότι θα μπορούσε να κοστίσει δισεκατομμύρια δολάρια στη Sony. Απροσπέλαστο παραμένει το PlayStation Network

«Δεν μπορούμε να αποκλείσουμε την πιθανότητα να έχουν κλαπεί στοιχεία πιστωτικών καρτών ακαθόριστου αριθμού χρηστών-μελών του Playstation Network», της διαδικτυακής υπηρεσίας της Sony που δέχτηκε τέτοιο χτύπημα χάκερ ώστε καταλύθηκε την... Εβδομάδα των Παθών. Η υποκλοπή αφορά και σε Έλληνες χρήστες της υπηρεσίας.

Στοιχεία χρέωσης, ονοματεπώνυμα, ημερομηνίες γέννησης, διευθύνσεις και e-mail έχουν υποκλαπεί για «κάποιους χρήστες των υπηρεσιών Playstation Network» που αριθμεί 77 εκατομμύρια σε 59 χώρες. Ιστορικό αγορών και διεύθυνση τιμολόγησης επίσης ενδέχεται να έχουν κλαπεί, εντούτοις η Sony βεβαιώνει ότι δεν έχει κλαπεί ο τριψήφιος αριθμός ασφαλείας που αναφέρεται στο πίσω μέρος των πιστωτικών καρτών (διαβάστε τι σημαίνει αυτό για την ασφάλειά σας στη συνέχεια από επίσημα χείλη).

Το Associated Press μεταδίδει την άποψη αναλυτών και συγκεκριμένα του Josh Shaul από την Application Security Inc., μιας από τις μεγαλύτερες εταιρείες ανάπτυξης λογισμικού ασφάλειας βάσεων δεδομένων στις ΗΠΑ. Ο ειδικός εκφράζει επιφυλάξεις και επισημαίνει ότι η απουσία άμεσων αποδείξεων για την κλοπή στοιχείων πιστωτικών καρτών δεν σημαίνει ότι δεν έγινε η κλοπή και είναι πιθανό ότι η Sony απλά δεν γνωρίζει ποια αρχεία έχουν «πειραχτεί».

Από την άλλη, το Ινστιτούτο SANS αναφέρει ότι ακόμα κι αν δεν κλάπηκαν στοιχεία πιστωτικών καρτών, όταν κάποιος γνωρίζει το ονοματεπώνυμο, το e-mail και ποια παιχνίδια παίζει κάποιος άλλος στο PSN τότε μπορεί να επιτύχει το άνοιγμα e-mail που δημιουργήθηκαν με επιμέλεια αξιοποιώντας τα στοιχεία αυτά ώστε να παραπλανήσουν και ενδεχομένως με σκοπό να εξαπατήσουν με οικονομικό όφελος. Τέλος, το ιστορικό αγορών μπορεί να αξιοποιηθεί για να διακριθούν τα μέλη που ξοδεύουν μεγάλα χρηματικά ποσά και επομένως αποτελούν δυνητικά προσοδοφόρο στόχο.

Ποια στοιχεία σας είναι πιθανό να έχουν κλαπεί:


* Ονοματεπώνυμο
* Διεύθυνση
* Χώρα
* E-mail
* Ημερομηνία γέννησης
* PlayStation Network/Qriocity password και login,
* PSN online ID
* Δεδομένα Προφίλ (περιλαμβανομένων, ιστορικού αγορών, διεύθυνση τιμολόγησης και οι απαντήσεις στις ερωτήσεις ασφαλείας που επαναφέρουν τον κωδικό στις υπηρεσίες PlayStation Network/Qriocity).
* Αριθμός πιστωτικής κάρτας (χωρίς το security code) και ημερομηνία λήξης της κάρτας

H Sony δεν θα σας ζητήσει ποτέ προσωπικά στοιχεία με οιονδήποτε τρόπο

Η Sony συστήνει προσοχή στα μέλη των εν λόγω υπηρεσιών, ιδιαίτερα σε απάτες που γίνονται μέσω e-mail, τηλεφώνου ή ταχυδρομείου ζητώντας προσωπικά δεδομένα. Η Sony δεν θα επικοινωνήσει με κανέναν τρόπο μαζί σας, ούτε με e-mail, για να ζητήσει τον αριθμό της πιστωτικής σας κάρτας, το αριθμό κοινωνικής ασφάλισης ή άλλες προσωπικές πληροφορίες. Εάν κάτι τέτοιο συμβεί, μπορείτε να είστε βέβαιοι ότι το αίτημα δεν προέρχεται από τη Sony.

Αλλάξτε password, όχι μόνο στο PSN αλλά οπουδήποτε χρησιμοποιείτε τα ίδια στοιχεία

Όταν οι υπηρεσίες Playstation Network και Qriocity αποκατασταθούν, η εταιρεία συστήνει στους χρήστες με έμφαση να μπουν και να αλλάξουν το password εισόδου τους. Επιπλέον, εάν χρησιμοποιείτε το ίδιο username και password για άλλες διαδικτυακές υπηρεσίες συστήνεται να τα αλλάξετε επίσης.

Διαβάστε επίσης: Μια καλή ιδέα για να επινοείτε ασφαλείς κωδικούς πρόσβασης

Βεβαιώστε τις χρεώσεις

Σε ότι αφορά στη χρήση των στοιχείων των καρτών, η Sony συνιστά επιθεώρηση των χρεώσεων της πιστωτικής κάρτας καθώς και την επικοινωνία με την εκδότρια τράπεζα ώστε να επισημανθεί η πιθανότητα μη εξουσιοδοτημένης χρήσης (ζητήστε Alert από την τράπεζά σας).

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες που αφορούν στα μέλη του Playstation Network στην Ευρώπη ανακοινώνονται και μέσω του επίσημου λογαριασμού στο Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/playstationeu

Ζητήστε την έκδοση νέας πιστωτικής κάρτας

Το In.gr Τεχνολογία επικοινώνησε σχετικά με τον Μεσολαβητή Τραπεζικών Επενδυτικών Υπηρεσιών, κο Αντώνη Φώσκολο, ο οποίος τονίζει ότι:

* η Sony υποχρεούται να ενημερώσει τις (ελληνικές) τράπεζες, εφόσον υπάρχουν μέλη της υπηρεσίας που τους αφορά η υποκλοπή
* η Sony υποχρεούται να ενημερώσει τους χρήστες της υπηρεσίας (το οποίο το κάνει τουλάχιστον μέσω του δικτυακού της τόπου, στο οποίο αναφέρεται ότι εργάζεται ώστε να αποσταλεί παρόμοιο μήνυμα υπό μορφή e-mail σε όλα τα μέλη)
* Τα μέλη της υπηρεσίας που υπέστη την υποκλοπή θα πρέπει να επικοινωνήσουν με τις τράπεζές τους και να επισημάνουν το πρόβλημα
* Ο πιο αποτελεσματικός τρόπος ώστε να αποκλειστεί πιθανή χρήση της πιστωτικής κάρτας τα στοιχεία της οποία κλάπηκαν είναι να ζητήσουν οι κάτοχοι την έκδοση νέας, άμεσα και την ακύρωση της τρέχουσας. Η διαδικασία είναι απρόσκοπτη και δεν επιφέρει παράπλευρες συνέπειες, αλλά αντίθετα, τη σιγουριά ότι η κάρτα που κλάπηκε δεν μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί πια. Εντούτοις, να σημειώσουμε ότι μια ενοχλητική συνέπεια της αλλαγής πιστωτικής κάρτας είναι ότι όπου την έχει κανείς χρησιμοποιήσει στο Ίντερνετ για αυτόματη πληρωμή σε μελλοντικό χρόνο θα πρέπει να αλλάξει τον συνοδευτικό τριψήφιο αριθμό ασφαλείας, διαφορετικά η πληρωμή δεν θα διεκπεραιωθεί (π.χ. αυτόματη ανανέωση συνδρομής).
* Επιπλέον, κάθε χρήστης μπορεί να αμφισβητήσει ενδεχόμενες χρεώσεις ακόμα και μετά την χρήση της κλεμμένης κάρτας.
* Ακόμα και εάν δεν έχει κλαπεί ο τριψήφιος κωδικός ασφάλειας της κάρτας, αυτό δεν σημαίνει ότι η κάρτα δεν μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για απάτη. Στις διαδικτυακές συναλλαγές ο κωδικός αυτός είναι απαραίτητος, όμως στις συναλλαγές στα φυσικά καταστήματα οι έμποροι δεν ελέγχουν αυτόν τον κωδικό -επιπλέον όταν οι μηχανές ανάγνωσης των καρτών είναι offline, η διεξαγωγή συναλλαγών δεν υπόκειται σε ελέγχους από το κεντρικό σύστημα. Ως εκ τούτου, ο αριθμός μιας πιστωτικής κάρτας, το ονοματεπώνυμο του κατόχου και η ημερομηνία λήξης αρκούν για να εκδοθούν κάρτες-κλώνοι και να χρησιμοποιηθούν σε φυσικά καταστήματα, τονίζει ο Μεσολαβητής κος Φώσκολος.

Το In.gr Τεχνολογία επικοινώνησε με την Sony στην Ελλάδα και αναμένουμε την επίσημη απάντησή της. Πάντως, σχετικά με την προσωρινή διακοπή των υπηρεσιών στην Ελλάδα (αν και στη χώρα μας δεν παρέχεται η υπηρεσία Qriocity για μουσική και βίντεο μέσω Διαδικτύου), η Sony παραπέμπει στο ξενόγλωσσο δημοσίευμα και στην υποστήριξη πελατών στο τηλέφωνο 801 11 92000, έναν αριθμό που ενδέχεται να σας οδηγήσει (άγνωστο γιατί, στην Interamerican), όπως συνέβη σε εμάς. Το σωστό τηλέφωνο επικοινωνίας στη Sony Ελλάς είναι το 210 67 82 000, ωστόσο η δική μας κλήση δεν απέφερε προς το παρόν αποτέλεσμα.

A week after taking down its PlayStation Network, Sony said its popular online network had been hacked, affecting 77 million users. Dow Jones Newswire's Ian Sherr explains what data was at risk to Stacey Delo.

"It’s obvious the global outage experienced by PSN today, affecting its 70 million plus gamers around the world, is certainly a catastrophe in its category. In fact, this is the first time all the branches of Playstation Network got disrupted for more than 72 hours, causing an alarm not only for Sony and its affiliated game developers, but with its close rivals like Microsoft as well."



Coming from a recent statement by Microsoft, they said that they’re regretful with this incident as its gamers are having difficulties; however, the company is also expected to benefit with this ordeal as those players who have both PS3 and Xbox 360 will certainly pick the latter at this point to play. Make it even sweeter since Xbox Nations online event has already begun yesterday which gives free Xbox live weekend, including several games and digital-media discounts.

So far, MS didn’t comment if they are expecting to reap profits on recently launched games this week like Portal 2 / Operation Flashpoint: River, since gamers will be flocking on their server now that PSN is out.

Of course, you can’t deny the reality some gamers are starting to cook-up some conspiracy about Microsoft’s involvement on this issue asking, “Could it be some 3rd party hackers are working for a Microsoft middle-man to hack PS network?”.

Likewise, Anonymous has already responded with the allegations about their involvement on this hack. And they deny it via their Facebook Page, though some are hinting it could be done by other hacktivist who has a deep grudge against Sony.

The latest update of the PSBlog was almost 24 hours ago, confirming this outage was caused by an “external intrusion” – short for something that didn’t happened internally on Sony’s system but was pushed by “someone” from the outside.

Let me remind everyone that these conspiracies are only predictions gathered from the web by fellow gamers waiting for this issue to be solved. Hopefully, Easter Sunday will give gamers a new hope.

"Houston, we have a problem. And it is keeping us off of the interwebs. At least as far as the PlayStation Network is concerned. Similar error messages are found by those wishing to connect to PS3 via the PSN. Sony obviously has their hands full.

Could these problems be related to the earthquake and tsunami crisis Japan is dealing with? This is certainly possible, and if so then we sincerely wish Sony the best, and understand entirely if their priorities lie outside of gaming at the moment.

Lets hope it is just routine maintenance.

Google searches for the 80550403 network error have yielded few answers, so hopefully this problem is brief! I read through many translated articles in German, Italian, and Japanese, so I can confirm that this problem is not exclusive to the American Midwest."

It would appear that Sony has admitted to an outside attack on the system, so they shut the whole network down to prevent further intrusion. I don't know how far a hacker would have been able to get into the playstation network as far as affecting its users, however I'm glad to see that they at least did something to TRY and protect its users.

How could somebody have the nerve to hack Sony right now? Japan has enough economic difficulties on their hands, and they don't deserve to be kicked while they're down :-(



Day 6 Update:

A Sony representative has stated on a blog recently that the attacks on their system could have leaked personal information from PSN accounts. They are apparently undergoing a very time-consuming (and probably costly) rebuild of their network to (hopefully!) thwart future attacks. A Joystiq.com article sheds more light.

You might have guessed this already, but it's no simple error that's been keeping the PSN down over the last few days, forcing us into productive activities (like writing this) instead of playing multiplayer Spelunker HD. Sony finally came forward on the PlayStation Blog and admitted that "An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services." Sony says it turned off PSN and Qriocity services on Wednesday to investigate this "intrusion" further.

If this is the work of "Anonymous" members, they failed to read their own nebulous organization's press release -- Anonymous supposedly backed off from PSN attacks in early April. It's entirely possible, however, the latest hackers are members of no group other than the loose worldwide confederation of jerks.

Update: PlayStation Blog has provided another update on the outage, explaining, "we are working around the clock" to bring the PSN back online. The update adds, "Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security."

"Ευαίσθητα προσωπικά δεδομένα περίπου 77 εκατομμυρίων χρηστών του Ιντερνετ εκλάπησαν από χάκερ σε μια από τις μεγαλύτερες «ηλεκτρονικές κλοπές» της ιστορίας, μέσω του PlayStation Network της Sony."



Οι χάκερ κατάφεραν να αποσπάσουν δεδομένα εκατομμυρίων online χρηστών του PlayStation, με αποτέλεσμα η εταιρεία να κλείσει το δίκτυο και να βρίσκεται σε διαδικασία επείγουσας ενημέρωσης των πελατών των της προκειμένου να λάβουν γνώση ότι πιθανόν το όνομα, η διεύθυνση, η ημερομηνία γέννησης, οι κωδικοί πρόσβασης και οι ερωτήσεις ασφαλείας που έχουν καταχωρήσει, να έχουν κλαπεί.

Επίσης η Sony ομολόγησε ότι οι χάκερ πιθανόν να κατάφεραν να αποσπάσουν πληροφορίες για τις πιστωτικές κάρτες που χρησιμοποιούν οι online χρήστες του PlayStation. Η εταιρεία ανακοίνωσε ότι πληροφορήθηκε την ηλεκτρονική εισβολή στο PlayStation Network στις 19 Απριλίου, αλλά η ανακοίνωση του γεγονότος έγινε μια εβδομάδα αργότερα.



Με καθυστέρηση η γνωστοποίηση

Εκπρόσωπος της Sony δήλωσε ότι χρειάστηκαν «αρκετές μέρες ερευνών» μετά την εισβολή ώστε η εταιρεία να διαπιστώσει ότι πράγματι είχαν κλαπεί δεδομένα πελατών της, θέλοντας να απαντήσει στις εντονότατες διαμαρτυρίες που διατυπώθηκαν για την καθυστέρηση ενημέρωσης των καταναλωτών.

Η εταιρεία στην ανακοίνωσή της αναφέρει ότι δεν υπάρχουν αποδείξεις για την κλοπή δεδομένων που αφορούν σε πιστωτικές κάρτες, αφήνοντας ωστόσο ανοιχτό το ενδεχόμενο.

Το δίκτυο της Sony άρχισε να λειτουργεί το 2006 και προσφέρει παιχνίδια, μουσική και ταινίες σε όσους διαθέτους τις κονσόλες του PlayStation. Μέχρι τις 20 Μαρτίου 2011 είχε καταμετρημένους 77 εκατομμύρια χρήστες, με το 90% από αυτούς στην Ευρώπη ή τις ΗΠΑ.

Συναγερμός για την «κυβερνο - ασφάλεια»

Εκπρόσωπος της εταιρείας «κυβερνο - ασφάλειας», Sophos, έκανε λόγο για «καταστροφή από πλευράς δημοσίων σχέσεων» για τη Sony, ενώ δεν απέκλεισε οι χάκερ να αξιοποιήσουν τα στοιχεία (ιδίως τους κλεμμένους κωδικούς) για να κάνουν παραβιάσεις και σε άλλες διαδικτυακές υπηρεσίες, με το σκεπτικό ότι οι χρήστες μπορεί να χρησιμοποιούν ίδιους κωδικούς σε παραπάνω από μια online υπηρεσίες.

Στέλεχος της Sony ανέφερε ότι ένα μέρος των υπηρεσιών θα επαναλειτουργήσουν μέσα σε μια εβδομάδα.

Το Playstation Network και η μουσική υπηρεσία Qriocrity παραμένουν εκτός λειτουργίας από τις 20 Απριλίου και οι τεχνικοί της εταιρίας προσπαθούν να αποκαταστήσουν το πρόβλημα και να ενισχύσουν τις ηλεκτρονικές άμυνες του δικτύου.

Η Sony έκανε γνωστό ότι ανέθεσε σε μια εξωτερική εταιρεία, σύμβουλο κυβερνο-ασφάλειας, να διερευνήσει ακριβώς αυτό το ζήτημα.

Πλήγμα τη χειρότερη στιγμή

Η παραβίαση της ασφάλειας του δικτύου - η οποία εκτιμάται ότι έγινε στο διάστημα 17 έως 19 Απριλίου - αποτελεί πλήγμα για τη Sony, η οποία μόλις ανακοίνωσε ότι θα κυκλοφορήσει τους δικούς της υπολογιστές - ταμπλέτες για να ανταγωνιστεί το iPad της Apple και «ποντάρει» στις δυνατότητες και υπηρεσίες του Playstation Network για να δελεάσει τους καταναλωτές να αγοράσουν τα νέα tablet PCs της.

Ακόμη, μέχρι το τέλος του 2011, η εταιρεία σχεδιάζει να κυκλοφορήσει μια νέα φορητή παιγνιδο-μηχανή, το Next Generation Portable.

Q: What is PSN?
A: It's the Sony PlayStation Network, an online gaming network.

Q: What devices can access it?
A: Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). You can also use your PSN login on the Sony discussion forums.

Q: If I have a Playstation 3, do I also have a PSN account?
A: Not necessarily. PS3s and PSPs work fine without an Internet connection. However, the majority of users do use the online access feature and thus have created an account.

Q: Why does a gaming network have credit card information?
A: PSN is also a media delivery network. Users buy games, movies and music from there with their credit cards.

Q: How long has PSN been down?
A: Since 20th of April, 2011.

Q: What was stolen?
A: Sony believes that the stolen information includes name, address, e-mail address, birth date, password, and handle of all PSN users. They also believe credit card numbers may have been stolen, but not their security (CVV) codes.

Q: How many accounts were stolen?
A: Up to 77 million. Which would make this one of the biggest data breaches ever.

Q: What should end users do?
A: If you have used the same username/e-mail address with the same password in some other service, change the password now. When PSN comes back online, change your password there as well.

Q: What should end users do regarding their credit cards?
A: They should follow their credit card bills careful for any signs of fraudulent purchases. If you see any signs of fraud, report it to your credit card issuer.

Q: What kind of credit cards do you recommend for online use?
A: In general, credit cards are safer than alternatives, as long as you carefully follow your bills. We especially like systems such as the one provided by Bank of America, where you can generate temporary credit card numbers for online use. Citibank and Discover offer the same or similar technology.

Q: Who hacked PSN?
A: We don't know.

Q: Was it "Anonymous"?
A: Anonymous has recently launched several attacks against Sony to protest Sony's tactics (which include suing homebrew developers, harassing AIBO hackers, shutting down emulator companies, shipping rootkits, et cetera). However, Anonymous has announced they are not behind this breach.



Q: What's the connection to Rebug?
A: Rebug is a custom firmware for PS3 that enables access to lots of features that are otherwise unreachable. In particular, recent versions made it possible for a normal PS3 to look like a developer unit. In some cases, this could be used to steal content from PSN shops for free. While the Rebug hack could be used to steal credentials and credit cards numbers from the PS3 unit it's running on, there's no obvious way it could be used to steal information on a larger scale. Rebug developers do not believe it was connected to the breach in any way.

Q: So, this could never happen on the gaming networks of XBOX and Wii, right?
A: We wouldn't bet on that.

Here's a link to Sony's: official Q&A.

Οι ερωτήσεις και τα γεγονότα. Και... τώρα;

Τα προηγούμενα 24ωρα θα πρέπει να ήταν πιθανώς τα δυσκολότερα που έχει βιώσει ποτέ η Sony Computer Entertainment - και όχι μόνο λόγω της σοβαρότητας του θέματος που προέκυψε, αλλά του γενικότερου πλαισίου μέσα στο οποίο τίθεται το πρόβλημα αυτό. Είναι το είδος των περιπτώσεων για το οποίο πληρώνονται αδρά εκείνοι οι περίφημοι... σύμβουλοι στο crisis management, με τη διαφορά ότι αυτή τη φορά τα πράγματα είναι λίγο έως πολύ ξεκάθαρα και οι λύσεις συγκεκριμένες. Τα επόμενα 24ωρα θα κρίνουν, δε, όχι μόνο το πόσο μεγάλες είναι οι απώλειες της Sony σε επικοινωνιακό επίπεδο (μα όχι μόνο), αλλά σε σημαντικό βαθμό και το πώς θα διαμορφωθεί ο τρόπος λειτουργίας του PlayStation Network στο μέλλον.

Πρώτα, τα γεγονότα: η ιαπωνική εταιρεία ανέφερε πριν από επτά ημέρες περίπου πως θέτει σε προσωρινή αναστολή λειτουργίας το PlayStation Network και το Qriocity, τις δύο online υπηρεσίες της μέσα από τις οποίες διαθέτει περιεχόμενο στους χρήστες των PlayStation3, Bravia και άλλων συσκευών συμβατών με αυτές. Σε εκείνη τη φάση - και για δύο ημέρες ακόμη - δεν γνωρίζαμε σε τί ακριβώς οφειλόταν η επιλογή αυτή της Sony, την Παρασκευή ωστόσο η ιαπωνική εταιρεία παραδέχθηκε πως ο λόγος για τον οποίο οι υπηρεσίες της τέθηκαν offline ήταν μία "επίθεση στο δίκτυό της από αγνώστους". Ως εκείνο το σημείο, ο μόνος τρόπος με τον οποίο ήταν γνωστό πως είχαν επηρεαστεί οι χρήστες ήταν η αδυναμία τους να αξιοποιήσουν το PSN για τα συνήθη, δηλαδή τις λειτουργίες online multiplayer, την αγορά περιεχομένου κλπ.

Το Σαββατοκύριακο, ωστόσο, μεσολάβησε περαιτέρω ανάλυση στην επίθεση και - επιτυχημένη - εισβολή στους servers υπηρεσιών της Sony. Και τα συμπεράσματα ήταν όντως ανησυχητικά: η ιαπωνική εταιρεία απολύτως ανοιχτά παραδέχθηκε πως "επαναδομεί το PSN και το Qriocity", κάτι που σημαίνει πως οι υπηρεσίες αυτές δέχθηκαν εξαιρετικά σοβαρά πλήγματα, τα οποία τις έχουν αφήσει εκτεθειμένες σε βαθμό που τα στελέχη της να μην ρισκάρουν να τις ξαναθέσουν σε λειτουργία ως έχουν. Η Sony, δε, παραδέχθηκε για πρώτη φορά πως τα στοιχεία 75 εκατομμυρίων χρηστών, πρακτικά όλων των ανθρώπων που έχουν λογαριασμό στο PlayStation Network, ενδέχεται να μην είναι πλέον ασφαλή.



Το χειρότερο όλων ωστόσο (και ο λόγος για τον οποίο μια σε άλλη περίπτωση απλώς ενοχλητική κατάσταση έχει εξελιχθεί σε σοβαρή) προέκυψε χθες αργά το βράδυ. Δεν είναι άλλο από την παραδοχή της Sony πως ναι, τα βασικά προσωπικά στοιχεία άγνωστου αριθμού χρηστών - ονόματα, διευθύνσεις, χώρα κατοικίας κλπ. - έχουν όντως κλαπεί και πως ανάμεσα σε αυτά περιλαμβάνονται το κωδικό όνομα και συνθηματικό που χρησιμοποιείται για την είσοδο των χρηστών στις υπηρεσίες PSN και Qriocity. Η ιαπωνική εταιρεία, δε, παραδέχθηκε πως δεν γνωρίζει με βεβαιότητα (αλλά δεν μπορεί να αποκλείσει κιόλας) αν έχουν κλαπεί στοιχεία πιστωτικών καρτών που έχουν συνδεθεί με τους λογαριασμούς των οποίων τα στοιχεία έχουν διαρρεύσει.

Αυτά είναι τα γεγονότα. Οι ερωτήσεις για τις οποίες η Sony δεν έχει ακόμη επίσημη απάντηση - και κανείς άλλος βέβαιη - είναι οι ακόλουθες. Πρώτον: τα στοιχεία των πιστωτικών καρτών έχουν επίσης κλαπεί; Η ιαπωνική εταιρεία σύστησε μεν προσοχή στις κινήσεις των καρτών που έχουν συνδεθεί με λογαριασμούς του PSN, αλλά όχι στο βαθμό που θα υπονοούσε πως ενθαρρύνει την ακύρωσή τους (κάτι που συστήνουν ωστόσο τραπεζικοί αντιπρόσωποι που ρωτήθηκαν σχετικά). Επέμεινε, δε, πως ο τριψήφιος κωδικός ασφαλείας τους, που είναι απαραίτητος πχ. για online αγορές, δεν έχει κλαπεί. Δεύτερον: πότε θα επανέλθει σε λειτουργία το PSN και το Qriocity; Η Sony δήλωσε πως "κάποιες λειτουργίες" των δύο υπηρεσιών θα ξαναγίνουν διαθέσιμες σε 7-8 ημέρες, αλλά δεν έδωσε συγκεκριμένο χρονικό πλαίσιο για το πότε θα αποκατασταθούν πλήρως.

Υπάρχουν και άλλα ερωτήματα, που θα πρέπει ωστόσο να περιμένουν μέχρι να ξεκαθαριστεί το τοπίο και να αποσαφηνιστεί τί ισχύει και τί όχι για τα προσωπικά στοιχεία των χρηστών. Η Sony έχει ήδη διαθέσιμη ειδική σελίδα με μία σειρά από ερωτήσεις/απαντήσεις σχετικές με τo θέμα - σε κάθε περίπτωση, το παρακολουθούμε και εμείς από κοντά και θ' αναφέρουμε άμεσα οποιαδήποτε σημαντική εξέλιξη, σε ακόλουθα άρθρα. Μείνετε συντονισμένοι και... ψυχραιμία!

Questions and answers regarding PlayStation®Network/Qriocity Outage
Answer ID: 2356

PSN/Qriocity Network Outage FAQs

Updated April 29, 2011



Question: Will our download history/friends list/settings be affected by the PSN downtime?
Answer: No, they will not.



Q: Will trophies that were earned in single-player offline games during the outage be intact when the service resumes?
A: These trophies are intact and will be re-synched when the network is once again operational.



Q: Will my PlayStation+ cloud saves be retrievable?
A: Yes, once PSN is restored.



Q: What if we have a subscription to PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms? Will we get compensation for that?
A: From Sony Online Entertainment: “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 across our game portfolio. 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.”



Q: Will there be a goodwill gesture for the time we haven’t been able to utilize PSN/Qriocity?
A: We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online.



Updated April 28, 2011



Question: When did the PSN/Qriocity become unavailable?
Answer: PSN/Qriocity services have not been available since April 20 (US time) in all regions.



Q: Why did the PSN/Qriocity become unavailable?
A: An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services.



Q: Why was Sony not prepared for a compromise of its network?
A: We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the situation. Since this is an overall security related issue, we cannot comment further at this time.



Q: Has Sony identified the party or parties responsible for the PlayStation Network hack and subsequent theft of personal information?
A: We are currently conducting a thorough investigation of the situation and are working closely with a recognized technology security firm and law enforcement in order to find those responsible for this criminal act no matter where in the world they might be located.



Q: When will the PlayStation Network and Qriocity be back online?
A: Our employees have been working day and night to restore operations as quickly as possible, and we expect to have some services up and running within a week from yesterday. However, we want to be very clear that we will only restore operations when we are confident that the network is secure.



Q: What steps is Sony taking to protect my personal data in the future?
A: We’ve taken several immediate steps to add protections for your personal data. First, we temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services and, second, we are enhancing security and strengthening our network infrastructure. Moving forward, we are initiating several measures that will significantly enhance all aspects of PlayStation Network’s security and your personal data, including moving our network infrastructure and data center to a new, more secure location, which is already underway. We will provide additional information on these measures shortly.



Q: Did SOE experience an attack due to the same reason?
A: SOE’s services are currently available, but they did experience a service interruption due to an external attack. An investigation is ongoing.



Q: Have you had such a long PSN/Qriocity service termination like this one in the past?
A: No.



Q: Does PSN/Qriocity get attacked very often?
A: We cannot make any comments regarding this matter at this time.



Q: I want my money back (subscription fee, content) since the PSN/Qriocity was not available.
A: While we are still assessing the impact of this incident, we recognize that this may have had financial impact on our loyal customers. We are currently reviewing options and will update you when the service is restored.



Q: There seems to be some games that cannot be played even offline?
A: Some games may require access to PSN for trophy sync, security checks or other network functionality and therefore cannot be played offline.



Q: Why are Sony Online Entertainment services available while PSN and Qriocity are still down and you (SCE/Sony) are not able to even tell us when it will come back again?
A: As our investigation in this matter is ongoing, we cannot comment further on this matter.



Q: What personally identifying information do you suspect has been compromised?
A: Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information provided by PlayStation Network/Qriocity account holders: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birth date, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password, login, and handle/PSN online ID. Other profile data may also have been obtained, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip). If an account holder has authorized a sub-account for a dependent, the same data with respect to that dependent may have been obtained. If an account holder provided credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, it is possible that the credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may also have been obtained.



Q: Was my personal data encrypted?
A: All of the data was protected, and access was restricted both physically and through the perimeter and security of the network. 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.



Q: Was my credit card data taken?
A: While all credit card information stored in our systems is encrypted and there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained. Keep in mind, however that your credit card security code (sometimes called a CVC or CSC number) has not been obtained because we never requested it from anyone who has joined the PlayStation Network or Qriocity, and is therefore not stored anywhere in our system.



Q: How will I know if my personal information has been compromised?
A: We have provided notices to consumers at the email addresses associated with their PlayStation Network/Qriocity accounts. You may also visit www.us.playstation.com/support and www.qriocity.com for notices regarding this issue. In addition, we have taken steps to disseminate information regarding this issue to media outlets so that consumers are informed. To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant to review your credit card account statements and to monitor your credit reports.



Q: What steps should I take at this point to help protect my personal data?
A: 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. To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports.



Q: What if I don’t know which credit card I’ve got attached to my PlayStation Network account?
A: If you’ve added funds to your PlayStation Network wallet in the past, you should have received a confirmation email from “DoNotReply@ac.playstation.net” at the email address associated with your account. This email would have been sent to you immediately after you added the funds, and will contain the first 4 digits and last 4 digits of your credit card number. You can also check your previous credit card statements to determine which card was attached to your PlayStation Network or Qriocity accounts.



Q: When or how can I change my PlayStation Network password?
A: We are working on a new system software update that will require all users to change their password once PlayStation Network is restored. We will provide more details about the new update shortly.



Q: Are you working with law enforcement on this matter?
A: Yes, we are currently working with law enforcement on this matter as well as a recognized technology security firm to conduct a complete investigation. This malicious attack against our system and against our customers is a criminal act and we are proceeding aggressively to find those responsible.



Q: I got an email from you asking for my PSN/Qriocity sign-in ID and password. Is it really you asking for this information?
A: 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.



Q: Why did Sony wait until now to tell PSN users that their personal information may have been compromised?
A: The nature of the intrusion required that we undertake an extensive and thorough investigation of the matter, which took considerable effort and time. We needed to make sure that we knew and understood the facts before providing the appropriate notice to PlayStation Network users.

SOME PLAYSTATION®NETWORK AND QRIOCITY™ SERVICES TO BE AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Phased Global Rollout of Services to Begin Regionally;
System Security Enhanced to Provide Greater Protection of Personal Information

Tokyo, May 1, 2011 – Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI, the company) announced they will shortly begin a phased restoration by region of PlayStation®Network and Qriocity™ services, beginning with gaming, music and video services to be turned on. The company also announced both a series of immediate steps to enhance security across the network and a new customer appreciation program to thank its customers for their patience and loyalty.

Following a criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data-center located in San Diego, California, U.S.A., SNEI quickly turned off the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system. Since then, the company has implemented a variety of new security measures to provide greater protection of personal information. SNEI and its third-party experts have conducted extensive tests to verify the security strength of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. With these measures in place, SCE and SNEI plan to start a phased rollout by region of the services shortly. The initial phase of the rollout will include, but is not limited to, the following:

* Restoration of Online game-play across the PlayStation®3 (PS3) and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) systems
-This includes titles requiring online verification and downloaded games
* Access to Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3/PSP for existing subscribers
* Access to account management and password reset
* Access to download un-expired Movie Rentals on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
* PlayStation®Home
* Friends List
* Chat Functionality

Working closely with several outside security firms, the company has implemented significant security measures to further detect unauthorized activity and provide consumers with greater protection of their personal information. The company is also creating the position of Chief Information Security Officer, directly reporting to Shinji Hasejima, Chief Information Officer of Sony Corporation, to add a new position of expertise in and accountability for customer data protection and supplement existing information security personnel. The new security measures implemented include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Added automated software monitoring and configuration management to help defend against new attacks
* Enhanced levels of data protection and encryption
* Enhanced ability to detect software intrusions within the network, unauthorized access and unusual activity patterns
* Implementation of additional firewalls

The company also expedited an already planned move of the system to a new data center in a different location that has been under construction and development for several months. In addition, PS3 will have a forced system software update that will require all registered PlayStation Network users to change their account passwords before being able to sign into the service. As an added layer of security, that password can only be changed on the same PS3 in which that account was activated, or through validated email confirmation, a critical step to help further protect customer data.

The company is conducting a thorough and on-going investigation and working with law enforcement to track down and prosecute those responsible for the illegal intrusion.

“This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security. We take the security of our consumers’ information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data. In addition, the organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “Our global audience of PlayStation Network and Qriocity consumers was disrupted. We have learned lessons along the way about the valued relationship with our consumers, and to that end, we will be launching a customer appreciation program for registered consumers as a way of expressing our gratitude for their loyalty during this network downtime, as we work even harder to restore and regain their trust in us and our services.”

Complimentary Offering and “Welcome Back” Appreciation Program
While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, the company is committed to helping its customers protect their personal data and will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in each region.

The company will also rollout the PlayStation Network and Qriocity “Welcome Back” program, to be offered worldwide, which will be tailored to specific markets to provide our consumers with a selection of service options and premium content as an expression of the company’s appreciation for their patience, support and continued loyalty.

Central components of the “Welcome Back” program will include:

* Each territory will be offering selected PlayStation entertainment content for free download. Specific details of this content will be announced in each region soon.
* All existing PlayStation Network customers will be provided with 30 days free membership in the PlayStation Plus premium service. Current members of PlayStation Plus will receive 30 days free service.
* Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity subscribers (in countries where the service is available) will receive 30 days free service.

Additional “Welcome Back” entertainment and service offerings will be rolled out over the coming weeks as the company returns the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services to the quality standard users have grown to enjoy and strive to exceed those exceptions.

SNEI will continue to reinforce and verify security for transactions before resuming the PlayStation®Store and other Qriocity operations, scheduled for this month.

For more information about the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services intrusion and restoration, please visit http://blog.us.playstation.com. or http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufactures, distributes and markets the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system. PlayStation has revolutionized home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home networked entertainment. PSP is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system, incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, SCEI is an independent business unit of the Sony Group.

We have an update on the PlayStation Network Online Status to give you now. Sadly, it isn’t the news that the service is back online, but we do know that users will be prompted to install a new firmware update on the PS3 as soon as it is back up.

There were previous rumors of a new firmware update coming soon to the PS3, and this has now been confirmed to be firmware update 3.61 as stated on the Japanese PlayStation website, as reported from TerminalGamer. Through the magic of Google Translate, we’ve learned that users will also need to change their password once they have signed into PSN.

Despite previous rumors stating otherwise, the Japanese PS site also states that PSN is still offline in Japan and that the service ‘will resume soon’. You can read the translated text in full here if you’re interested.

This information has yet to be posted on the US or EU PlayStation Blogs, so perhaps Sony is intending to switch PSN back online first in Japan, followed by other regions. Aside from the much talked about compensation package that Sony are offering to PS3 users, we hope that firmware 3.61 adds some extra functionality to the XMB – cross game chat support would be a lovely way of saying sorry, what do you think?

So to sum up, the PSN is still down, but you will get a nice new firmware to play around with when it does finally return. Let us know your thoughts on this.

Thank you for your patience and encouragement over the last few weeks. As covered in the post from earlier today, you can now update the firmware on your PS3 and change your password. Kazuo Hirai just announced that we have begun the phased restoration by region of some of the services, starting with online multiplayer functionality.

Please note that these services will take a bit of time to be turned on and rolled out to the whole region. The process has begun and some countries are being turned on now, so please be patient as we reach you.

In the meantime, now’s a great time to get your PS3′s firmware updated and change your password, both of which are required to get online.

Some of you have mentioned that you have not received your password reset emails. With the huge number of people coming back online at the same time and resetting their passwords, it is creating significant email traffic to ISPs. The consequence is that some of the ISPs are throttling the emails.

We are currently trying to resolve this, but in the meantime please be patient and refrain from submitting multiple requests. You will receive you reset email and be able to get back to enjoying your online gaming.

Οι χάκερ έχουν γίνει όλο και πιο επιτήδειοι στις προσπάθειές τους να «τρυπώσουν»...
στους υπολογιστές των χρηστών. Σύμφωνα με εκτιμήσεις της Microsoft, κατά μέσο όρο, ένα στα 14 προγράμματα λογισμικού που οι χρήστες «κατεβάζουν» στους ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές τους, περιέχουν κάποιου είδους κακόβουλο κώδικα.

Όπως δήλωσε στέλεχος της εταιρίας, σύμφωνα με το Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο, οι χάκερ χρησιμοποιούν περισσότερο νοητικά «τρικ» παρά ικανότητες προγραμματισμού, καθώς θεωρούν ότι καλύτερα μπορούν να ξεγελάσουν ένα χρήστη να «κατεβάσει» ένα πρόγραμμα που θεωρεί αθώο, ενώ δεν είναι, παρά να εκμεταλλευτούν τα τυχόν κενά ασφαλείας στο λογισμικό.

Σύμφωνα με τη Microsoft, η τεχνολογία της SmartScreen, από τον Μάρτιο του 2009, όταν πρωτοεμφανίστηκε στον Internet Explorer 8, έχει μπλοκάρει πάνω από 1,5 δισεκατομμύρια απόπειρες χάκερ να εισάγουν αθόρυβα κακόβουλο λογισμικό στους υπολογιστές των ανυποψίαστων χρηστών.

Οι προσπάθειες της Sony να αποκαταστήσει το δίκτυο του Playstation, μετά τη σοβαρή επίθεση που δέχτηκε από χάκερ, αντιμετώπισαν νέα προβλήματα, καθώς η εταιρία ανακάλυψε ένα νέο κενό ασφαλείας που οι χάκερ δυνητικά θα μπορούσαν να εκμεταλλευτούν, σύμφωνα με τα πρακτορεία Ρόιτερ και Γαλλικό.

Το πρόβλημα έχει να κάνει με την αλλαγή των κωδικών ασφαλείας (passwords) από τους χρήστες και η Sony αναγκάστηκε προσωρινά να αναστείλει και πάλι τη λειτουργία ορισμένων σελίδων του δικτύου Playstation και της συγγενικής online υπηρεσίας Qriocity μέχρι να «κλείσει» το κενό. Η εταιρία, διευκρίνισε πάντως, ότι αυτή τη φορά δεν εμπλεκόταν κάποιος χάκερ, αλλά ενήργησε μόνη της για προληπτικούς λόγους.

Οι χρήστες του δικτύου μπορούν να αλλάξουν τον κωδικό τους απευθείας μέσω της συσκευής τους PS3 ή μέσω του διαδικτυακού τόπου του PSN, όταν οι σχετικές σελίδες σύντομα αποκατασταθούν. Το δίκτυο PSN συνδέει τις κονσόλες του Playstation μέσω διαδικτύου, ώστε οι χρήστες να παίζουν online games, να «κατεβάζουν» ταινίες ή τραγούδια.

The PlayStation Network went back online Saturday, but certain elements are still missing from the service. Namely, the PlayStation Store – the online marketplace for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable users – has been delayed in relaunching, presumably to ensure data is secure from another breach. While Sony has maintained that it plans to have all network features back online by May 31, a Sony memo to developers claims that the company is looking to place the store back online on May 24.

Gamasutra managed to acquire the memo that details when developers and publishing partners can expect previously delayed content to roll out. It looks like there is a queue, of sorts, that will enable a quick launch of the various downloadable titles, downloadable-content, etc. that missed their planned launch date.

Content originally scheduled for release on April 26 will appear on the day the PlayStation Store relaunches, May 24. Additionally, store updates will go live on May 27, 31, and June 3. These accelerated release dates will hopefully allow all of the content missed during the nearly one-month shutdown of the service to reach consumers in an expedited manner. Following the June 3 update, the store will apparently have caught back up to its normal schedule.

"We thank you for your patience as we work to resume service," PlayStation Network content manager Jack Osorno wrote in the memo to game developers and publishers. "We are willing to consider adjusting the release date of your content on this schedule."

That last bit from Osorno is allegedly in connection to downloadable-content for currently released titles. PlayStation gamers have, obviously, missed out on some game expansions as the PlayStation Store remained inactive. So, if you've been upset about your inability to download pre-order incentives from "L.A. Noire" or the "Honest Hearts" downloadable-content for "Fallout: New Vegas," for example, those will hopefully show up as soon as possible.

The relaunch of the PlayStation Store will also enable users to finally download their "Welcome Back" free games, as well as whatever "make good" items Sony might throw your way.

It seems fairly obvious that the memo is accurate and true, given the fact that Gamasutra actually obtained a copy, but that of course never means that the PlayStation Store launch date won't revert to the May 31 date. Speaking to Giant Bomb today, Sony's Patrick Seybold claimed that reports of the memo were "speculative."

"We've not announced a specific date other than to say we expect to have the service fully restored by the end of the month," Seybold stated.

The PlayStation Network is now back up in North America, parts of Europe and the MIddle East, starting this past Saturday when Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai sent out a video message announcing the good news. Now, Sony has gone further to detail their ‘Welcome Back’ package or ‘make good’ offer for their PSN members that includes free games, movies, and access to PlayStation Plus.





Now that some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been restored and you’re once again enjoying online gaming and entertainment, we’re happy to provide details about the “Welcome Back” appreciation program for customers in North America. 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.

Dead Nation
inFAMOUS
LittleBigPlanet
Super Stardust HD
Wipeout HD + Fury

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.

Thank you again for your support!

Last night, Sony Computer Entertainment issued the following press release:

By Peter Bright | Published about 7 hours ago


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