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Passwords, credit cards at risk after PlayStation hack


Johannesburg, 29 Apr 2011

Users of Sony's PlayStation Network are at risk of identity theft after hackers broke into the system and accessed the personal data of videogame players.

The implications of the hack, which resulted in the service being offline since last week, are only now becoming clear as Sony has confirmed that the hackers, who broke into the system between 17 and 19 April, were able to access the online gamers' personal information.

According to Sophos, users should take immediate action to ensure their online identities are secure, and that fraudsters cannot take advantage of stolen credit card information.

"Users of Sony's PlayStation Network need to act to minimise the chances that their identity and bank account are compromised following this hack," says Brett Myroff, CEO of regional Sophos distributor, Sophos South Africa. "That means changing your online passwords (especially if you use the same password on other sites), and considering whether it would be prudent to inform your bank that, as far as you're concerned, your credit card is now compromised."

Sony has warned that hackers have been able to access a variety of personal information belonging to users, including:

* Name
* Address
* Country
* E-mail address
* Date of birth
* PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login
* Handle/PSN online ID

In addition, Sony warns that profile information - such as history of past purchases and billing addresses, as well as "secret answers" given to Sony for password security - may also have been obtained. Sony also admits that it cannot rule out the possibility that credit card information may also have been compromised.

"The fact that credit card details, used on the network to buy games, movies and music, may also have been stolen is very disturbing. If Sony loses your credit card information, it's no different from you losing your credit card - you should cancel that card immediately,” says Myroff.

“Questions have to be asked as to whether Sony was ignorant of PCI data security standards, as well as storing this and other personal data in an unencrypted format. All in all, this is a PR and security disaster for Sony."

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Sophos South Africa

NetXactics, trading as Sophos South Africa, is a South African-based company focused on the provision of security solutions. It is the master distributor for UK-based Sophos, one of the leaders in the provision of network access control and endpoint, e-mail and Web security and control solutions for the corporate environment. For more information, visit Sophos South Africa at http://www.sophos.co.za.

Sophos

Sophos enables enterprises worldwide to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Our network access control, endpoint, web and e-mail solutions simplify security to provide integrated defences against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, we protect over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with our reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognised for our high level of customer satisfaction, we have an enviable history of industry awards, reviews and certifications. Sophos is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and Oxford, UK.

Editorial contacts

Adriaan du Plessis
Me Talk Pretty
(011) 447 3785
metalkpretty@telkomsa.net
Brett Myroff
Sophos South Africa
(011) 444 4000
brettm@sophos.co.za