Sony shares new details on PlayStation Network breach

Sony Computer Entertainment America shared new details today regarding the recent PlayStation Network breach and ongoing downtime. The Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing in Washington, DC this morning on the subject.

Kaz Hirai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SCEA, answered several questions asked by the subcommittee regarding the procedures taken after the attack. In summary, Sony followed four “key principles”:

• Act with care and caution.
• Provide relevant information to the public when it has been verified.
• Take responsibility for our obligations to our customers.
• Work with law enforcement authorities.

They also shared the following details with the subcommittee:

• Sony has been the victim of a very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber attack.
• We discovered that the intruders had planted a file on one of our Sony Online Entertainment servers named “Anonymous” with the words “We are Legion.”
• By April 25, forensic teams were able to confirm the scope of the personal data they believed had been taken, and could not rule out whether credit card information had been accessed. On April 26, we notified customers of those facts.
• As of today, the major credit card companies have not reported any fraudulent transactions that they believe are the direct result of this cyber attack.
• Protecting individuals’ personal data is the highestpriority and ensuring that the Internet can be made secure for commerce is also essential. Worldwide, countries and businesses will have to come together to ensure the safety of commerce over the Internet and find ways to combat cybercrime and cyber terrorism.
• We are taking a number of steps to prevent future breaches, including enhanced levels of data protection and encryption; enhanced ability to detect software intrusions, unauthorized access and unusual activity patterns; additional firewalls; establishment of a new data center in an undisclosed location with increased security; and the naming of a new Chief Information Security Officer.

On the subject of when the PlayStation Network will go back online, Sony said they “are working around the clock to have some PlayStation Network services restored and [they’ll] be providing specific details shortly.”

Stay tuned.

Sony’s Response to the U.S. House of Representatives [PlayStation.Blog] [Image]