Playstation Reasons Behind PSN Outage

[Sultan]

Update 2: Patrick Seybold posted an update on the PlayStation Blog tonight saying the outage will continue and that Sony is re-building its system to "further strengthen our network infrastructure." His statement can be read in full below:

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We sincerely regret that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have been suspended, and we are working around the clock to bring them both back online. Our efforts to resolve this matter involve re-building our system to further strengthen our network infrastructure. Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security. We thank you for your patience to date and ask for a little more while we move towards completion of this project. We will continue to give you updates as they become available.​

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Update 1: Sony tonight issued a statement saying the PlayStation Network outage is due to an "external intrusion" but did not clarify beyond that. A timetable for when PSN will be up and running again was also not provided.

Hacker group Anonymous said today they are not claiming responsibility for this particular outage, however.

The statement in full from Senior Director of Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold can be read below:
<table bgcolor="#f1f1f3" width="470px"> <tbody><tr><td>

An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th.
Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.
​

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Original Story: PlayStation Network outages may last up to a full day or two before the service is back up and running, Sony said today.

The company is currently investigating the cause of the outages, which began late last night. No word yet on whether or not this outage is related to the same outage occurrences from earlier this month that was likely spurred on by the hacker group known as Anonymous.

Users unable to sign on are greeted with PSN Error Message 80710A06. Are you able to sign on?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1163299p1.html

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If you've been snooping around online and found info on why PSN is what it is right now, post it here.

 

[Squid]

It is annoying that the PSN is down but at least I am not paying a fee to use it. So I don't mind *too* much that I can't use it.

Thanks for the info though as I literally had no idea why it was down haha I just heard the hacker rumour.

 

[Setzer Gabbiani]

Same here. I though it was a hacker's doing but I was wrong. Thanks for providing us with this useful information. We appreciate it a lot!

 

[Steve-O]

update from playstation universe

A source with close connections to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe reports that the attack to the PlayStation Network may be a bit deeper than originally reported by Sony. According to the source, who wishes to remain anonymous, the PSN sustained a LOIC attack (which created a denial-of-service attack) that damaged the server. There was also a concentrated attack on the PlayStation servers holding account information. In addition, “Admin Dev accounts were breached.”

As a result, “Sony then shut down the PSN and [is] currently in the process of restoring backups to new servers with new admin dev accounts.” The SCEE source said Japanese servers may be restored tomorrow while the U.S. and E.U. servers will likely be operational the following day.

While this information is only corroborated via a series of Facebook messages, it is certainly not a stretch. Sony Computer Entertainment America recently confirmed that it pulled down the PSN because of an “external intrusion.” This essentially means that hackers were to blame. Sony is officially conducting a thorough investigation. The PSN and Qriocity services were pulled offline by Sony on Wednesday, April 20.

There was plenty of speculation late this week that the Anonymous hackers group was to blame for the PSN downtime. The group previously targeted Sony in retaliation to the legal action against another hacker. Anonymous has since denied involvement in the current PSN downtime.
Again, this information is from a source who claims to have a very close connection with someone at SCEE. We take these reports for what they are at this time, but it is certainly a possibility. If you have information to share, please do so.
"Everyone deserves the right to know what’s been going on," the source wrote in an email."

Soooo psn should be back on tuesday XD

 

[Thief of Hearts Joker]

lol sheesh Im late again I was wondering why I couldent log in today thanks for the information hope it gets fixed soon D=

keep us updated you guys 8D

Was going to download some Disgaea 2 DLC Too D= hopefully they'll have the new DLC's up and running for Duodecim too =p

 

[DarkLordSephiroth66]

Inconceiveable!!!!!!!!!!!

Why?????????????

Why would a bunch of "smart" computer experts who are probably smart enough/have enough technical awareness to work for a major computer/software company selfishly use thier talents to screw others out of their being able to use a program that is "free" and shut down their service?

I personally am really pissed because I was in the middle of downloading the 3rd Birthday and i only had 45 minutes left to go before i noticed that the PlaystationNetwork servers were down

I hope Sony can fix this problem soon so that I may be able to play a game that I purchased, and waited ever so patiently to download(my wireless connection sucks major balls)

 

[lugiaXDG009er]

wow that sucks personally i miss having the connection to my friends as well as the online extras i was just in the proccess of downloading for dragon age 2 this should hopefully be done with in a few days so that sucks even more cause i gotta go to school and do an assignment stupid hackers

 

[Ohri-Jin]

If ANONYMOUS didnt do it,...then who did..
Lol a day or two has been 5 days if I count correctly..

Well my work week starts tomorrow so I guess I will be major bored when I get home from work....

 

[Sultan]

Some questions answered (kind of)
What's the status of your credit card information? How about other personal information?
1
These are the most obvious questions that will affect the greatest amount of people. Your credit card number, your address and other information is saved on your PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Network. Is this information secure? Has it been compromised? Should people be worried?
The fact that these questions haven't been answered five days into the outage raises serious concerns.



How will PlayStation Plus subscribers be compensated? How about those with subscriptions to games like Free Realms and DC Universe Online? What about those with subscriptions to NHL GameCenter and MLB.tv?
2
I wasn't only a day one adopter of PlayStation Plus, I was in on the fun in the first hour. It's a great service that I've defended time and time again, from Twitter to Podcast Beyond, and even in the many stories Greg and I have written about the service over the past year.
But unlike standard PSN access, PlayStation Plus isn't free. Obviously, an outage of, say, a week only warrants a minute amount of money returned to the consumer. Yet, there are fleeting deals, discounts and the like that PS+ users -- the most loyal Sony customers there are -- can't take advantage of. And that's a problem.
And then there are the games and services tied to PlayStation Network that can't be used without it. DCUO is a game you pay to play, and it's exclusively online. Free Realms has memberships that can cost quite a bit, and yet there's no way for you to play this MMO right now. The NHL playoffs are in full swing, and people downloaded the GameCenter program to tie their NHL.com accounts to it. MLB.tv is an expensive service that can't be utilized via the PS3, and baseball season is just beginning.
How will all of these people be reimbursed for lost time and accessibility of services they paid for? And when?





What caused the outage, anyway?
3
This is probably something that Sony can answer after everything has been fixed, but since so many millions of people rely on PlayStation Network for their gaming fix, players are no doubt owed an explanation of what the problem was.
Pulling the plug on the PSN doesn't bode well for how deep and severe the problem is. There are a lot of unsubstantiated rumors floating around the Internet about what happened and what forced Sony to take some drastic actions. But we want to hear information straight from Sony. What caused this outage, and how could something so severe happen to a service so important to their tens upon tens of millions of customers?

You want to play Portal 2 online? Too bad.



​

What's the timetable for getting the PlayStation Network up and running?
4
PS3 gamers are extremely anxious to get back onto the PlayStation Network. There are games to purchase, Trophies to sync, and titles to play online.
With that said, when is the PSN going to be fixed? When the outage first happened, we were told a day or two. That was three days ago. A date and time isn't necessary if there really isn't one. But just be honest and tell us so. If this is going to be a prolonged problem, we deserve to know. If Sony is right around the corner from solving it, however, we should be told so.





Will the PSN be put back up in fragments? Will there be workarounds to get game servers back up?
5
Engineering talk aside, there are probably problems with certain parts of the PlayStation Network but not the entire thing. With new games having just come out like SOCOM 4, Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat, there are a plethora of eager gamers waiting to get online and play. So even if the PlayStation Store remains down, and we're unable to download new games for awhile, will servers eventually come back online to accommodate online play?


http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1163798p1.html

 

[Raiiyokuu]

Internet gamers were frustrated last week when Sony shut down its PlayStation Network. Now, they might have reason to be worried.
On Monday, the Japanese electronics giant said it is keeping its PlayStation Network videogame service offline indefinitely following a hacking attack it now says may have compromised user’s information.
To ensure the network’s integrity, Sony said it is currently rebuilding the service, which connects more than 75 million PlayStation customers over the Internet, letting them play videogames and chat together. “This is a time intensive process and we’re working to get them back online quickly,” Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold said in a blog post.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/04/26/sony-shuts-down-playstation-network-indefinitely/

 

[Steve-O]

Update on PSN Outage

there been an update on the psn outage that i think psn users on this website should read

Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the current outage of PlayStation Network & Qriocity services. We don’t have an exact date to share at this moment as to when we will have the services turned on, but are working day and night to ensure it is as quickly as possible. We are currently working to send the following message via email to all of our registered account holders regarding a compromise of personal information as a result of this malicious attack on our servers, so please look for this information via email as well. Please note that we are as upset as you are regarding this attack and are going to proceed aggressively to track down those that are responsible.
Valued PlayStation 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 re-building 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/province, zip or postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity passwords 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 that credit card data was taken at this time, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, to be on the safe side we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may also 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, tax identification or similar 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 or similar types of reports.
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 check www.eu.playstation.com/psnoutage should you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Sony Network Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Teams
Sony Network Entertainment Europe Limited (formerly known as PlayStation Network Europe Limited) is a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited the data controller for PlayStation Network/Qriocity personal data.

SOOO some random people has your address and everything... so watch out.. you may get stalked tonight

 

[Raiiyokuu]

It's all good I put in everything as fake, and I don't buy shit from CC's, I use the PSN cards.

Anyways, I know much of the reasons why PSN is down, and I read that they're rebuilding the whole PSN itself, plus some other "great" features.

 

[Steve-O]

It's all good I put in everything as fake, and I don't buy shit from CC's, I use the PSN cards.

Anyways, I know much of the reasons why PSN is down, and I read that they're rebuilding the whole PSN itself, plus some other "great" features.

'great' features normally means security updates to annory people

EDIT.... i take it that the mods has merged my new thread....

 

[Deathguise_10]

Update

Sony said today it believes personal identification information from registered PlayStation Network users has been compromised as a result of an illegal intrusion that has shut down the service for the past week.

Sony also believes PSN logins and password information may have been illegally obtained. Patrick Seybold, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at SCEA said the company has hired a "recognized security firm" to fully investigate the matter and has strengthened the network's security in the meantime for further protection.

Sony says it believes an unauthorized person has obtained the following personal information that you provided:

- Name
- Address (city, state, zip)
- Country
- Email Address
- Birthdate
- PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID

Seybold also says that "profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers" may have been obtained. Sub-account information may have also been compromised.

There is also "no evidence" that credit card information has been obtained, Sony is not ruling 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," Seybold said.

"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."

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1164186p1.html

 

[blakstang98]

'great' features normally means security updates to annory people

EDIT.... i take it that the mods has merged my new thread....

A thread already existed regarding this topic, there was no need to make another

And please stop spam posting. This is a post count section. Thank you.

 

[Rapture]

Really, I was irritated with the fact that it was down for so long...and it seemed like for the longest time they wouldn't release any info as to why...there was only speculation and rumors for what actually caused it to go down.

Finally some information, but not really the important information that we need, like umm...the fact that our credit card info may have been hacked??? It would be cherry of them to let us know that. But, on account of my own intelligence I've already canceled my account and got a different one. Its sad how after five days of the psn being down they STILL don't know if that information has been compromised...way to look out for the best interests of your customers, Sony.

VII is and will be the only thing I download off of the psn. I know they are supposed to be making the new network "safer"... but safe is relative. Never again.

Also, I'm so grateful I gave fake info for my account. ....and I'd love to change my "compromised" password and etc...whenever the stupid network is up and running again, guys

 

[Deathguise_10]

Update

If you ever used a credit card on the PlayStation Network, there's a chance that someone out there now has that information; the PSN has been hacked. However, don't panic -- Robert Siciliano, CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, said that number was never safe to begin with.
"There's no security in the credit card number," Siciliano said. "You should be monitoring your credit card statements as closely as you monitor the scores of the game, as closely as your monitor your email, as closely as you monitor the weather. You need to know what's going on at all times regarding your credit card statements, what charges are being made and who is making them."



Yes, things are bad right now for the millions of PlayStation 3 and PSP players out there who have to deal with the fact that birthdates, addresses and passwords have been compromised and the PSN is still offline, but Siciliano said that things aren't as bleak as they might seem. PSN users just need to monitor their accounts "weekly" and refute bogus charges that appear. As long as you argue a false charge within 60 days, you should be able to get it wiped from your record, Siciliano said.
Plus, now that your email is out there, don't trust messages even if they appear to be from a trusted source.
"If you receive emails that look like they're coming from Sony or PlayStation or whoever -- emails that you might be accustomed to already receiving from brands you already trust -- be suspect," Siciliano said. "Never click on links in the body of the email."
Need more advice on how to make sure this PlayStation Network hiccup doesn't turn into a personal disaster? The Federal Trade Commission deals with this stuff all the time and has a number of tips on how to watch for the bad guys.
Here are the FTC's tips straight from its website.



Identity Theft Signs:

• accounts you didn't open and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.
• fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit reports, including accounts and personal information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers.
• failing to receive bills or other mail. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
• receiving credit cards that you didn't apply for.
• being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason.
• getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.

Was Your Identity Stolen?

• You may find out when bill collection agencies contact you for overdue debts debts you never incurred.
• You may find out when you apply for a mortgage or car loan and learn that problems with your credit history are holding up the loan.
• You may find out when you get something in the mail about an apartment you never rented, a house you never bought, or a job you never held.

What Should You Watch?

• Your financial statements. Monitor your financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking closely for charges you did not make.
• Your credit reports. Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and how you pay your bills. The law requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. To find out, order a copy of your credit reports.

Once you get your reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed. See Correcting Fraudulent Information in Credit Reports to learn how. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.



Get Your Credit Report

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.
To order your free annual report from one or all the national consumer reporting companies, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. You can print the form from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually; they provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Under federal law, you're also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance or employment, and you request your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company that supplied the information about you. You're also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; you're on welfare; or your report is inaccurate because of fraud. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for any other copies of your report.
To buy a copy of your report, contact:
Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com
Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com
TransUnion: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com

Should You Use A Credit Monitoring Service?

There are a variety of commercial services that, for a fee, will monitor your credit reports for activity and alert you to changes to your accounts. Prices and services vary widely. Many of the services only monitor one of the three major consumer reporting companies. If you're considering signing up for a service, make sure you understand what you're getting before you buy. Also check out the company with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General to see if they have any complaints on file.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1164194p1.html
​

 

[Raiiyokuu]

The electronics giant said it could "not rule out" the possibility that fraudsters seized the data.
A staggering 77 MILLION accounts worldwide were hacked.
The security breach saw data from 59 countries lost - with names, addresses, birthdays and security info leaked.
Last night, Sony apologised for the scandal and promised to "aggressively" hunt down the culprits.
In a statement it said: "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.
"We don't have an exact date to share at this moment as to when we will have the services turned on, but are working day and night to ensure it is as quickly as possible.
"We are going to proceed aggressively to track down those that are responsible."
It comes a week after the PlayStation network crashed - leaving gamers fuming.
Sony's Qriocity music streaming service also collapsed.
LoveFilm users who download movies with their PlayStations were hit too.
Sony first logged an "illegal and unauthorised" attack between April 17 and April 19. It warned users to watch out for phone and email scams.
PlayStation gamers need to enter credit card and personal details to play online games, download software, films and music.

SOURCE - http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3549221/77million-PlayStation-accounts-hacked.html

 

[Tmoo]

well, now i feel stupid for putting accurate info in my account. whoop de doo. guess i'll just fake everything from now on, including my birth certificate.

 

[Raiiyokuu]

Similar News -

It's been a rough week for Sony, as the company has been scrambling to detect the source and extent of the security breach recently caused by hackers. While Sony's current focus is to fix its security hole and get PSN back online, questions are now being raised about the financial cost of the leak, which could be in the billions of dollars.
The scope of the breach is potentially staggering, considering the fact that PlayStation Network has roughly 77 million user accounts. There are too many variables to put a concrete price on the mess-up, but data-security research firm, the Ponemon Institute states that the average data breach costs a company $318 per compromised user.
While simply applying that average to the total number of accounts (which would result in a $24 billion price tag) wouldn't take into consideration duplicate accounts or which users have credit card information linked to their account, Ponemon's figure is comprised from much more than a simple headcount, including costs associated with detecting and fixing the problem, notifying and aiding affected consumers, loss of clientele, and decrease of potential future users. We won't know for some time how these issues play out for Sony, but whatever solution the company comes up with, it won't be cheap.

[Source: Forbes, via GameSpot]

Also - LINKS to know what's happening, and what's happened.

We've gathered all the relevant details about the rapidly unfolding Sony security breakdown news story in one place.

What began as an unusual outage in PSN online services has devolved into a costly long-term outage that may have exposed the personal and financial records for some PlayStation Network users.

We've written several stories on the topic in the last few days, including official Sony statements and rumors about what's going on behind the scenes. For quick reference, here is a list with the links to all of the stories thus far. We'll continue to update this story throughout the coming days as new information becomes available.

PSN Security Breach Could Cost Sony Billions (Last updated 4/27)


Linked Steam Accounts Not Affected By PSN Security Breach (Last updated 4/26)


Connecticut Senator Probes Sony's Tretton On PSN (Last updated 4/27)


Sony Says PSN Hackers May Have Your Credit Card Info (Last updated 4/26)


Sony Says It Pulled The Plug On PSN/Qriocity (Last updated 4/24)


PSN Down Possibly For "Full Day Or Two" (Last updated 4/21)