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77 million Sony PlayStation subscribers have been warned that their credit card details and other confidential personal data may have been stolen by hackers, in what has been described as the largest identity theft on record. The cyber attack came to light on earlier this week, several days after Sony took the PlayStation Network (PSN) offline without any explanation.

As millions of PlayStation enthusiasts all over the world became increasingly frustrated and angry about being denied access to their PSN account, the Japanese high tech giant finally had to admit that a breach of security had occurred. In their official statement they say that an ‘illegal and unauthorized’ intrusion’ into their PSN and Qriocity services has compromised customer account data privacy.

Data information that has been stolen includes:-

 Customer names and addresses
  Email addresses
  Birthdates
 Login ids & passwords

Sony believe it is possible that profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and customers’ PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have also been obtained. They are playing down the risk to credit card accounts, but admit there is a possibility that these have also been hacked into.

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They are advising their customers to be wary of any fraudulent email, telephone or postal requests asking for personal and sensitive information including credit card details.

Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA), the name under which the financial services industry co-ordinates its activity on fraud, says there is no need for concerned customers to cancel their cards or contact their bank and card issuers at this stage, but advises them to check their statements for anything unusual.

The internet security firm, Sophos, recommends a more pro-active approach and is advising people to cancel their cards.

To put things into perspective, although there are 77 million PSN users world wide including around 3 million in the UK, not all will have registered their credit card details with the service.

Meanwhile Sony is working round the clock to resolve the problem and enhance and strengthen its network security. The PlayStation and Qriocity service remain turned off, and an independent firm of security experts has been engaged to complete a full investigation into the incident

To date it is not known who is responsible for the hack, although a prime suspect must be the shadowy association of hackers known as Anonymous, which claimed to have carried out the recent cyber attack on payment websites including PayPay, MasterCard and Visa.

Charlotte Mooney is an IT professional with many years experience, now working for IT Software Consultancy Proswift, a leading provider of international credit system solutions to banks and finance houses

Find More Playstation Hacks Articles

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Internet Invasion
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Did you know the Internet is invading your privacy with Google Maps? It is! It is! The people at Indianapolis’ fine WTHR, Channel 13, have been running this story all week because Google Streetview just came out for the Indy area. People are FREAKING OUT because their pictures are online. Good thing none of ours are…

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Identity Theft 911 Chief Information Security Officer Speaks at Breach Security and Computer Forensics Conference











Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) November 2, 2010

Identity Theft 911 Chief Information Security Officer Ondrej Krehel will be a featured speaker at the Computer Forensics Show on Nov. 1-2, in San Francisco CA, discussing computer forensic investigations, data breaches and new techniques in the war against criminal hackers.

Cybercrime is growing at a rapid pace as cybercriminals employ more sophisticated methods to attack governments and corporations. The Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that 285 million records were compromised in the U.S. in 2008. Lost business is the most costly commercial outcome, with an average cost of $ 204 per compromised customer record, according to the Ponemon Institute.

Krehel’s presentations will focus on types of data breaches, associated costs, and how to build an incident response team of digital forensic examiners, network security professionals and compliance personnel. The Forensics Show aims to present advancements in the IT security marketplace by bringing together specialists in computer security, information technology and accounting with representatives from the military, law enforcement, intelligence and emergency management communities.

“Cybercriminals don’t respect traditional law enforcement methods and practices. They design their attacks to run undetected and circumvent standard investigative procedures,” Krehel said. “It’s the job of security professionals and law enforcement to come up with better practices and more sophisticated computer forensic techniques to stop the bad guys before they do real damage.”

Identity Theft 911 partners with businesses and governments to fight cybercriminals with the latest in breach security, data breach notification, information compliance, computer incident response and identity theft management. The Data Breach Services program enables a business to protect existing and prospective customers, employees and anyone else with identifiable information contained in a breached database. We provide 24/7-access to highly trained fraud specialists who assist with credit fraud alerts, notify creditors and handle inquiries prompted by the notification.

Krehel brings more than a decade of experience in computer forensics to the information security management team that helps businesses and individuals secure their data. He has launched investigations internationally and domestically into a broad range of IT security matters – from hacker attacks to data breaches to intellectual property theft. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). His work has received attention from CNN, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

About Identity Theft 911

Identity Theft 911is the nation’s premier identity theft and data breach management, resolution and education service. The company serves 13 million households across the country and provides fraud solutions for a range of organizations—including Fortune 500 companies, the country’s largest insurance companies, corporate benefit providers, banks and credit unions and membership organizations. For more information, visit our website and our Knowledge Center.

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