While it doesn't say much about what exactly happened, a new update to the PlayStation Network disaster reveals that somebody, somewhere, managed to break into the system and get hold of your private information - all of it.
If you're reading this, then you're almost certainly aware that over the past week, Sony's PlayStation Network has been suffering some rather severe technical difficulties. Sony is apparently still trying to figure out what's going on, or at the very least isn't yet ready to disclose all the facts, and there's still no ETA for a resumption of services. But in a new status update, Sony revealed that PlayStation Network and Qriocity user data has in fact been compromised. And not just your PSN ID.
"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," Sony's Patrick Seybold wrote in a message being sent to all registered PSN account holders. "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," he continued. "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."
In other words, not to put too fine a point on it, whoever broke into Sony's systems got everything - everything. At this point, the situation appears to have shifted from a dispassionately amusing debacle to an absolute balls-out train wreck, certainly not helped by the fact that Sony may have sat on this information for nearly a full week before letting the public know just how badly it was compromised.
Sony advised PSN members to pay special attention to their credit card account statements and other related information, be alert for email, telephone and postal scams and change all passwords as soon as possible, which is to say, whenever Sony gets the PSN working again. It also regrets any inconvenience.
And it ain't over yet, folks. We'll keep you posted.
