Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

April 29, 2011

According to this Gamasutra report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is helping investigate the security breach of PlayStation Network that exposed millions of PSN users' personal data and credit card information to unauthorized intruders.

"The Department of Homeland Security is aware of the recent cyber intrusion to Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity music service," DHS spokesman Chris Ortman told government technology site NextGov. "DHS' U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team [CERT] is working with law enforcement, international partners and Sony to assess the situation."

Sony announced earlier this week that some PSN user data may have been stolen by unknown hackers earlier this month. They also said that credit card information may have been stolen. The FBI joined the investigation yesterday and 22 Attorneys-general have sent letters to Sony asking for answers.

Source: Gamasutra

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Comments

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Craig R. on Sun, 05/01/2011 - 10:50.

Yahoo! article this morning:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110501/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_sony_playstation

"Sony said account information, including names, birth dates, email addresses and log-in information, was compromised for players using its PlayStation Network. Hirai asked all users to change their passwords.

Hirai reiterated what the company said last week — that even though it had no direct evidence the data were even taken, it cannot rule out the possibility.

He said data from 10 million credit cards were believed to be involved, and that Sony still does not know whether information was stolen."

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Sat, 04/30/2011 - 10:10.

Its good to see them being used to chase real criminals and not modchip sellers.

I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/cigital-disobedience/

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Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Left4Dead on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 19:27.

"...that exposed millions of PSN users' personal data and credit card information to unauthorized intruders."

Wait. So it was confirmed that credit card numbers were stolen? Where?

- Left4Dead

Why are zombies always eating brains? I want to see zombies that eat toes for a living. Undead-related pun intended.

- Left4Dead Why are zombies always eating brains? I want to see zombies that eat toes for a living. Undead-related pun intended.

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Cerabret100 on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 20:24.

That's what i've been wondering since a lot of articles are stating it like it's fact despite CC companies and sony saying there was no evidence they were in fact stolen.

All we've got so far (that i know of) is one guy out $2k without any proof it was directly caused by PSN other than the timing and unconfirmed rumors the data's being sold.

Of course the rumor also states the CV numbers are being sold with the numbers which as Sony and a lot of other people have mentioned, they don't store or ask it.

My guess is what the article means is exposed in the sense that they COULD have gotten to it but...yeah that's bad wording.

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Lou on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 15:43.

Don't be amazed if other mayor law enforcement organizzations from other countries jump into the fray. The gloves are starting to come off.

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 15:38.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if the community is doing a sort of hunt too.

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Neeneko on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 15:28.

Wait, DHS got CERT? That kinda sucks....

Still, this is right up CERT's alley so I can't blame them for poking their nose in.

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by Arcanagos on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 14:08.

Good. Now that they've called in the cavalry hopefully it's only a matter of time before these scum are caught.

Regardless of the outcome though, I'm still checking my recent transactions several times a day and I'm definitely not paying for anything on PSN with anything other than a pre-paid card anymore.

"Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of Heaven, Jack Thompson'll justify it in the end." - nightwng2000

Re: Report: Homeland Security Helping with PSN Investigation

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Fri, 04/29/2011 - 13:41.

Hehe, damn those jerkwads did it now.

Shout box

NyuRena: You nailed it James! Yikes..06/18/2013 - 1:56pm

james_fudge: With MS willing to share with the government, an always listening device should give everyone pause.06/18/2013 - 1:37pm

james_fudge: you can't turn off the Microphone on the Kinect and it has to be plugged in. It's not rocket science.06/18/2013 - 1:35pm

E. Zachary Knight: The Humble Bundle Guys just don't like me having money in my pocket do they? https://www.humblebundle.com/06/18/2013 - 1:12pm

E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, I know that my Android camera is off unless I am using an application that turns it on. Same with the microphone.06/18/2013 - 12:38pm

CMiner: Can you turn off the camera on an iPhone? Like, -really- turn it off, not just change a setting that -tells- you the camera is off?06/18/2013 - 12:13pm

james_fudge: when they make it a requirement, yes they are06/18/2013 - 12:10pm

CMiner: I just don't think Microsoft bears any more (or less) responsibility for privacy with its Kinect camera than do the makers of laptops or smartphones with integrated cameras.06/18/2013 - 12:00pm

Imautobot: The ability to operate the console without the camera is key. It's a peripheral, not directly integrated into the console, and yet it behaves as if it is. Thankfully I don't have kids, and won't have an Xbone either.06/18/2013 - 11:49am

CMiner: Oh, I agree that the decision to make the kinect mandatory/always listening is terrible.06/18/2013 - 11:48am

E. Zachary Knight: CMiner, and the easier the provider makes to do such things, the better. The fact that the XBone will not even funtion without it plugged in and turned on in some fashion makes a world of difference from a PC Webcam.06/18/2013 - 11:38am

CMiner: It takes steps on the user's part to ensure 100% privacy (unplugging, uninstalling, putting tape over it, not putting it in the kid's rooms, etc)06/18/2013 - 11:29am

CMiner: My point is that no webcam producing company can guarantee that no one will ever ever ever be able to access video from that webcam without your knowledge and permission06/18/2013 - 11:28am

E. Zachary Knight: Of course at that point, you are still opening up yourself to Windows zero day vulnerabilities and back doors that they are happy to share with the government before Windows users.06/18/2013 - 11:26am

E. Zachary Knight: Cminer, I don't because I wipe the OS and reinstall something more secure, Linux. Even still, just wiping the OS and reinstalling Windows fresh removes all the bloatware PC companies install.06/18/2013 - 11:26am

E. Zachary Knight: I agree that the Kinect requirement of the XBone has my civil liberty senses tingling. Just another nail in the coffin for me.06/18/2013 - 11:25am

E. Zachary Knight: Honestly, I wouldn't put anything with an integrated camera in my kids' rooms. You are just asking for trouble. Of course, I am not a fan of having tvs/videogames/computers in kids rooms in general.06/18/2013 - 11:24am

CMiner: In the case of integrated webcams on laptops, do you have the same concern that people at Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc might be spying on you?06/18/2013 - 11:24am

E. Zachary Knight: I love awesome indie devs. Incredipede is free if you run linux! http://www.incredipede.com/linux.html Thanks @ColinNorthway You're the best.06/18/2013 - 11:23am

Imautobot: More creepy is that the Xbox Camera can see in the dark. Now we're in Buffalo Bill territory.06/18/2013 - 11:21am

All shouts

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