It’s almost a months since Sony shut down both their PlayStation Network (PSN) and Online Entertainment gaming network (SOE). What happened though exactly? We all know that the PlayStation Network got breached, and than we heard that before that happened Sony Online Entertainment had been hacked. But what exactly caused one of the biggest electronic conglomerates to shut down?
It all began in January, with a lawsuit against George Hotz, a 21 year-old software super mind. Hotz posted software that allowed PlayStation 3 (PS3) gamers to reconfigure the PlayStation 3 console. PlayStation Network posted on their blog regarding the case:
In the action, SCEA accused Hotz of violating federal law by posting online information about the security system in the PlayStation 3 videogame console and software that SCEA claimed could be used to circumvent the security system in the console and allow the playing of pirated videogames. Hotz denies any wrongdoing on his part. Hotz’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction was still pending before the federal court in San Francisco but a preliminary injunction was issued requiring Hotz to take down the postings challenged by SCEA.
“We want our consumers to be able to enjoy our devices and products in a safe and fun environment and we want to protect the hard work of the talented engineers, artists, musicians and game designers who make PlayStation games and support the PlayStation Network,” added Russell. “We appreciate Mr. Hotz’s willingness to address the legal issues involved in this case and work with us to quickly bring this matter to an early resolution.” (Playstation Blog)
The lawsuit against Hotz that was settled on March 31, 2011 included but was not limited to, Hotz being banned for life from the PlayStation Network. On April 3, 2011 a group known as “Anonymous” struck out and made a threat against Sony after the case against Hotz was settled. Soon Operation Sony (OpSony) became known throughout the group. The problem with “Anonymous” is that it is “anonymous”.
Financial Times, quote one Anonymous member said of the Sony hack: “So it’s Anon’s work. But you can’t blame the whole collective for what one or two guys do. We’re a gathering of Anonymous activists, not some scary organized hacking group. It was uncalled for this early in the fight.”
“Anonymous” has denied the claims that they are the ones who caused the shutdown on the PlayStation Network. Other companies who have been hacked by “Anonymous” include HBGary Security, The Colbert Report and even a live broadcast of the West Boro Baptist Church. Senior Sony executives have been pointing fingers at “Anonymous” for the PlayStation Network Breach, claiming someone “familiar” with the thinking of “Anonymous” believed a person or people affiliated with the group are responsible for the data theft.
The PlayStation Network realized something was up when servers were rebooting themselves when they were not scheduled to do so, on April 19th. Looking into the logs Sony tried to figure out what was causing the problem, once they saw “unusual and unplanned activity” going on, they shut them down. Here is where the PlayStation Network being shut down comes in. After it was discovered that data of some kind had been transferred off of the PlayStation Network, Sony’s team opted for the entire PlayStation Network to be shut down.
It took until April 25, to confirm the amount of data that was supposedly taken off the PlayStation Network using aggressive and sophisticated techniques. Once the FBI and Homeland Security got involved it was a different ball game. Soon the security breach was all over the media and users of Sony’s Online Entertainment gaming and PlayStation Networks were out of the loop.
No one really knows what is going on, people have ideas, news sites have hunches, when it comes down to it though, Sony is just trying to connect the dots on the hackers, in the same sense that we are trying to figure out Sony. Until Sony can gain control of the security and what exactly the intruders used to get into the system, they cannot turn on the PlayStation Network for safety and security reasons.
Sir Howard Stringer, Chief Executive of Sony apologized for the security breach and the inconvenience it caused during a briefing Thursday. Stringer vowed to give customers identity protection services and insurance coverage worth up to $1 million dollars.
Sony also has websites to go to for both the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment where customers and gamers can go for more information on compensation for the inconvenience.
Who knows it could have just been Hotz who was hiding under the name of Anonymous to avoid trouble. It may be someone who is not affiliated with “Anonymous” or the case against George Hotz. The main problem is that for now it is just ideas really, fingers being pointed in all directions
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