26 Apr 2011

70M Subscribers to PlayStation

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID,” wrote Patrick Seybold, senior director of corporate communications for Sony Computer Entertainment America. “It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address … and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. … While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility.” The following letter has been sent to subscribers:  

From: PlayStation Network <PlayStation_Network@playstation-email.com> To: Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 7:29 PM Subject: Important information regarding PlayStation Network and Qriocity services =================================== PlayStation(R)Network =================================== Valued PlayStation(R)Network/Qriocity Customer: We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have: 1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services; 2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and 3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by rebuilding our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information. We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable. Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state, zip), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have  authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While 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. 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. We are providing the following information for those who  wish to consider it: – U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free  credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228. – We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below.  At no charge, U.S. residents can  have these credit bureaus place a “fraud alert” on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to  granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it  tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity.  As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to  place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below: Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 – You may wish to visit the website of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from   identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General  can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland  residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or  www.oag.state.md.us. We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working  around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will  continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at 1-800-345-7669 should you have any additional  questions. Sincerely, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment =================================== LEGAL “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and “PS3” and “PlayStation Network” are trademarks of Sony Computer  Entertainment Inc. (C) 2011 Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404
The breach has prompted Sony to rebuild systems and restore services within the week.  ]]>