[Kalyx triaD]

As I'm sure you know, the PlayStation Network has been down for nearly a week, and Sony today revealed the reason for the outage. There has been a security breach, and user information has been obtained by an unauthorized person. Below please find our answers to questions you may have about what this means to you, the end user: Whose information has been stolen? Sony has not revealed how many of their estimated 70 million accounts have been compromised, so it's impossible to say. Shutting down the entire PlayStation Network suggests the security breach is large as opposed to small. Also, the company is sending out email to every account holder about the situation. What information has been stolen? According to Sony, your name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. Additionally, Sony advises that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained. Wait, credit card information was stolen from the PSN as well? Maybe. While Sony doesn't rule out the possibility that your credit card data (minus your 3-digit security code) has been stolen, they say that "there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken." Judging from how other companies have handled security breaches in the past, if your credit card information was stolen, I would expect Sony to send an email to inform you. How can I tell if my information has been stolen? There is no way of knowing for sure if you're among the people whose information has been compromised at this time, so the best thing to do is assume your information has been obtained by this "unauthorized person." Sony is sending an email to all registered account holders. When did the intrusion take place? Between April 17 and April 19, 2011 Can I change my PSN password now? No. The PlayStation Network is offline. When it resumes operation, Sony recommends you change your password. When will the PlayStation Network go back online? Within seven days. According to Sony, "We have a clear path to have PlayStation Network and Qriocity systems back online, and expect to restore some services within a week." What should I do now? We've prepared a guide for what to do if you're a member of the PlayStation Network. Will the PSN network have better security in the future? I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't say for sure, but my best guess is "Yes." Why did it take almost a week for Sony to inform the public of this leak? Sony hasn't commented on this aspect of the security breach, so you're guess is as good as mine, but if you're asking, you're in good company. Senator Richard Blumenthal issued a statment today aimed at Sony saying he is “troubled by the failure” of Sony to “immediately notify affected customers of the breach and to extend adequate financial data security protections.” Read more: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/pos...#ixzz1Kg2faWjF