Report: Sony to face third attack

According to a report by CNET News, Sony may face yet another cyber attack on its systems following the recent breach in security that saw a combined total of more than 100 million user records compromised across the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment systems. The report's author says that she spoke with one of the hackers on the group's Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel and was told that a third major attack is planned to take place this weekend.

The target of the latest attack is said to be Sony's web site and the individuals involved hope to publicise all or some of the information that they find stored on the company's servers. The source says that this information could include customer names, addresses and credit card numbers, adding that the group already has access to some of Sony's servers.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has joined the list of executives, including Sony Computer Entertainment Chairman Kazuo Hirai, who have apologised for the recent trouble at Sony which has left its customers' data exposed and prevented them from accessing various online services. Stringer says that the company is "absolutely dedicated to restoring full and safe service as soon as possible and rewarding you for your patience," adding that, "We will settle for nothing less."

The executive goes on to say that, to date, there is "no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely." To help protect its US customers from identity theft, Sony is offering free "AllClear ID Plus" identity theft protection, a service from US firm Debix, Inc. which includes cyber monitoring and surveillance, and a $1 million identity theft insurance policy per user.

A list of The H's coverage of the recent Sony attacks can be found below.

See also:

• Sony suggests Anonymous to blame for cyber attack, a report from The H.
• Another 25 million Sony users compromised, a report from The H.
• Sony will reactivate its suspended online services soon, a report from The H.
• Attack on the PlayStation Network: what customers should now watch out for, a report from The H.
• PSN hack: Personal data of millions of customers stolen, a report from The H.
• PlayStation Network temporarily shut after attack, a report from The H.

(crve)