AfterDawn: News

Sony to compensate users over massive PSN downtime?

Earlier this week we reported that Sony had admitted that hackers had stolen PSN account info, forcing the company to shut down PSN and Qriocity as it rebuilds its services.

The company noted that 77 million users had their "Name, address (city, state, postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity password and login, and handle/PSN online ID, profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, postal code), and the subscriber's PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers" had been compromised. Even worse, the company said your credit card info and expiration date are likely to have been compromised, as well.



Today, on the 8th day of the outage, Sony has hinted that it may give users some sort of compensation for the downtime.

Says the company:

We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online.

Because PSN is free, the compensation will almost certainly not be monetary, but PlayStation Plus and the MMO games "DC Universe Online" and "Free Realms" will likely get some prorated refund.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Apr 2011 23:06

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• 25 comments

• KillerBug

  Everyone will probably get a free $0.99 DLC for some $60 game.

  29.4.2011 23:16 #1

• coorva

  what about the t-shirts,,there worth more
  
  

  29.4.2011 23:31 #2

• Orange Balls (unverified)

  I hope it's somethin good.

  29.4.2011 23:50 #3

• gsize19 (unverified)

  I look at it this way, Sony doesn't have to give us anything. I just want to know, for sure, was our credit cards comprimised? I mean I am not looking for compensation, I just want to if they were, so I can cancel my cards, and spend $30 getting them re-issued. I don't want compensated for that, but I want to know if in fact it did happen. As for the outage, hey, this stuff happens. I am a loyal Sony purchaser, and will continue to purchase their products. Just tell me the truth is all I ask, and don't beat around the bush!!!

  29.4.2011 23:55 #4

• gamehound

  I love sony miss my Yellow Dog Other OS though please give it back.

  30.4.2011 00:11 #5

• jackov

  Originally posted by gsize19: I look at it this way, Sony doesn't have to give us anything. I just want to know, for sure, was our credit cards comprimised? I mean I am not looking for compensation, I just want to if they were, so I can cancel my cards, and spend $30 getting them re-issued. I don't want compensated for that, but I want to know if in fact it did happen. As for the outage, hey, this stuff happens. I am a loyal Sony purchaser, and will continue to purchase their products. Just tell me the truth is all I ask, and don't beat around the bush!!! I dont know of any bank that woulc charge for replacement cards. Normaly cards can be reissued in 10 working days and sent via mail, also your company may offer a rush option 2/3 busness days via fed-ex or ups. if your bank/banks are indeed going to charge fore replacements i would tell them to get lost and take my buisness somewhares else!

  30.4.2011 00:14 #6

• GuyInBushes (unverified)

  Free download for a game? Screw that, all we do is click to sign user agreements that we will not copy infringe PS3 software, or me getting a 12 day ban for an inappropriate player card? I want more than some crumby download. Sony didn't keep their end of the bargin up, we trusted them, and now we have some rouge hacker basically raping all of Sony. This isn't a small issue, this is huge. If over 100,000 of those credit cards are used for only 50$, that's 5 million dollars Sony is responsible for.
  
  
  All i read are comments or articles telling you to cancel your cards or check your statements. If they have all your info already, what is the point?
  
  
  I hate Xbox 360, and am a hardcore PS3 fan. Hell if they had better servers for online gaming, I would pay, but they don't. It takes me 10-15 minutes to find and play a single game.
  
  Not sure what else to write, back to blazin and chillin in the bushes.

  30.4.2011 00:16 #7

• Pissedoffcodplayer (unverified)

  edited by ddp you sony, seriously, it goes down on the Easter weekend. That's 5 days i get off from school and i couldn't play cod at all, i had to resort to playing black ops campaign.. and to have it still down the next weekend (which is another long weekend) is just disgraceful. I am seriously thinking of going out and buying an Xbox.....yes, yes i would really stoop that low

  30.4.2011 00:31 #8

• GreedyMcGreedGreed (unverified)

  OK, just give 2 Million Dollars and I'll gladly give you another chance :P

  30.4.2011 00:40 #9

• Bert87

  The best gift to me would be to cut the GT5 bullshit that you have to spend 360 days 24/7 of straight play just to be able to afford upgrading your 500 car garage. It's just absurd that a 3hr race will earn you $80,000. Just enough to buy racing tires, suspension, and a turbo kit, for only 1 car!!!!! for God Sakes!!!

  30.4.2011 01:06 #10

• Mrguss

  PSN Database Containing 2.2 Million Credit Cards , Now For Sale,
  include the CCV security code that until now was believed to be safe......
  
  http://bit.ly/lj7CyA
  
  Governments press Sony on PSN breach:
  Sony has 10 days to respond before incurring fines.....
  
  http://cnet.co/m6uLkl
  

  +4000

  30.4.2011 05:20 #11

• Schmick

  Be very wary about accepting any "compensation" they offer. Acceptance will likely be accompanied by a waiver not to pursue any further damages that might one day come from your credit details being disclosed.
  
  Don't fall for it people.
  

  ^ PEBKAC ^

  30.4.2011 07:02 #12

• Smacks

  If you are stupid enough not to cancel your credit card assosciated with your PSN account then its from your own stupidity if charges are made on that card. Sony sent you the e-mail sayingQuote: While there is no evidence at this time that credit
  card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility.
  That right there should tell you to call and cancel your cards and get a replacement. I am not looking for compensation from Sony on this. If you are paying for a service through PSN then I would say yes you should be credited for time you weren't able to play. As usual we will see those come out demanding their free handout.

  30.4.2011 09:41 #13

• KillerBug

  You can easily break 300K/hour in b-spec if you choose the correct races. Getting first on the first four races of the Dream Car Series and then quitting out of the last race as soon as it starts seems to be the best way to make money without actually playing. I've been trying to make a teensy program for this series, but there is something going wrong with my code...otherwise, I would just leave it on like that for a week and come back to over $50,000,000...not enough to buy every car, but probably enough to buy the 500 cheapest cars and a few nice cars as well.
  
  Originally posted by Bert87: The best gift to me would be to cut the GT5 bullshit that you have to spend 360 days 24/7 of straight play just to be able to afford upgrading your 500 car garage. It's just absurd that a 3hr race will earn you $80,000. Just enough to buy racing tires, suspension, and a turbo kit, for only 1 car!!!!! for God Sakes!!!

  30.4.2011 11:10 #14

• brockie

  so obvious that they will give us something I care more about the PSN going back up.

  30.4.2011 14:08 #15

• Mysttic

  People who are worried about the breech only seemed concerned with credit card theft. Does no one realize the implications on identify theft, its a way bigger deal than just a CC.
  
  With your name/address/birthday, I can guess your sex but don't need to, and with all the information leaked aside from CC from PSN, if I had that data and so long the user is over 18 in most countries, I'd be able to apply for loans under your name, apply for credit cards if you don't have one, open up credit card reports, do cash advances, and more. So the credit cards being compromised is a little less of a risk than all your other information.
  
  You can even use your information in away its untraceable, over the phone, and do it to companies who simply put their faith that you passed security questions they ask, they'll give you WHATEVER you want after that. Including who else is tied to any accounts you may have, be a spouse, child, whatever. You can pull it all, just by asking them to mail it or fax it. Keep changing your location, don't do anything consistent or in a pattern, and a lot more harm can be done than anyone truly realizes.
  
  For all sakes, look at people who go out their way to go to trash dumps, rummaging for any un-shredded paper work to steal a persons identity. And you'd never know it until it was too late. This is the biggest deal of the digital age, because even without the CC, if this information goes public, or is sold, anyone can use your identity to get what they want. And then switch to another identity before getting caught.
  
  Tomorrow Sony is going to have a press conference to verify what has happened and hopefully what they are going to do about it. We may get answers on the FBI's case on this, but likely not as its an on-going investigation. People should be worried, and doing more to protect themselves other than just changing your card and your password. But hey people are ignorant and ignorant is bliss; to those that are, I hope it happens to you, so you learn a harder lesson than what was leaked from PSN.
  
  Sony is worried, Nations around the world are worried, and they should be; so should you.

  30.4.2011 14:48 #16

• Dack_Janiels

  Originally posted by Dack_Janiels: Originally posted by Pissedoffcodplayer: Fuck you sony, seriously, it goes down on the Easter weekend. That's 5 days i get off from school and i couldn't play cod at all, i had to resort to playing black ops campaign.. and to have it still down the next weekend (which is another long weekend) is just disgraceful. I am seriously thinking of going out and buying an Xbox.....yes, yes i would really stoop that low Really you are that angry over not playing games during your Easter break? Maybe some time outside riding your bike or playing ball would be a better alternative... let you drain off some of that anger doing something good for yourself. Don't get me wrong I have been bummed that PSN is down but I'm not for sure that Sony is even the right direction for all that anger. Sure its thier system to maintain and I wish it were 100% bulletproof but they were attacked by some entity resulting in a pain in everyones ass.

  30.4.2011 15:58 #17

• xtago

  The problem now is you have some hackers now selling this data out.
  
  Wonder what Geohot thinks of all of this as he had a PSN account so his data would be in that database getting sold off.
  
  The other problem with this database, besides the CC data, is all the ID data people will end up having their ID stolen from that data it's not good at all.
  
  I don't blame Sony for this at all, but all these useless pricks whinging about Sony removing OtherOS like it mattered all that much.
  
  I remember at the start people whinging about Sony not pushing the game side at all and pushing everything else, and to get rid of bluray playing side and otheros and pictures/music stuff only to keep the games.
  
  How the tables have turned now.
  
  I wonder at how many people are happy with hackers for ripping off their own data and making a buck out of it.

  30.4.2011 21:33 #18

• brockie

  FFS you can get names dates of birth address so easy these days god some people love to start loads of hype.

  30.4.2011 22:25 #19

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by xtago:
  I don't blame Sony for this at all, but all these useless pricks whinging about Sony removing OtherOS like it mattered all that much.
  Think what you will about people like Graf and geohot...but if a simple software mod to a video game system is responsible for overcoming Sony security measures, then that intrusion is the fault of Sony, who should have used quality security. Sony didn't encrypt the data (they used a static key that is very easy to crack), and setup the firmwares to transmit full credit card info every time the system was started, also without encryption (no encryption at all; not even static key).
  
  For all we know, someone was just intercepting the confidential and unencrypted information that the machine transmits every time it is turned on, for no reason at all...and they never even got into the PSN servers. The hacking scene warned about criminals doing exactly that quite a while ago (before 3.60 came out), and sony never did anything about it.
  

  
  

  30.4.2011 22:41 #20

• Smacks

  Quote:FFS you can get names dates of birth address so easy these days god some people love to start loads of hype. The older you get the more confidential you consider your date of birth to be! lol

  30.4.2011 22:42 #21

• adre02

  Originally posted by Mysttic: People who are worried about the breech only seemed concerned with credit card theft. Does no one realize the implications on identify theft, its a way bigger deal than just a CC.
  
  With your name/address/birthday, I can guess your sex but don't need to, and with all the information leaked aside from CC from PSN, if I had that data and so long the user is over 18 in most countries, I'd be able to apply for loans under your name, apply for credit cards if you don't have one, open up credit card reports, do cash advances, and more. So the credit cards being compromised is a little less of a risk than all your other information.
  
  You can even use your information in away its untraceable, over the phone, and do it to companies who simply put their faith that you passed security questions they ask, they'll give you WHATEVER you want after that. Including who else is tied to any accounts you may have, be a spouse, child, whatever. You can pull it all, just by asking them to mail it or fax it. Keep changing your location, don't do anything consistent or in a pattern, and a lot more harm can be done than anyone truly realizes.
  
  For all sakes, look at people who go out their way to go to trash dumps, rummaging for any un-shredded paper work to steal a persons identity. And you'd never know it until it was too late. This is the biggest deal of the digital age, because even without the CC, if this information goes public, or is sold, anyone can use your identity to get what they want. And then switch to another identity before getting caught.
  
  Tomorrow Sony is going to have a press conference to verify what has happened and hopefully what they are going to do about it. We may get answers on the FBI's case on this, but likely not as its an on-going investigation. People should be worried, and doing more to protect themselves other than just changing your card and your password. But hey people are ignorant and ignorant is bliss; to those that are, I hope it happens to you, so you learn a harder lesson than what was leaked from PSN.
  
  Sony is worried, Nations around the world are worried, and they should be; so should you. There's 6+ billion, BILLION people around the world, why would NATIONS be worried about 77million? You should be worried if your info was on there but NATIONS? REALLY?
  

  This is superman

  6.5.2011 13:18 #22

• adre02

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by xtago:
  I don't blame Sony for this at all, but all these useless pricks whinging about Sony removing OtherOS like it mattered all that much.
  Think what you will about people like Graf and geohot...but if a simple software mod to a video game system is responsible for overcoming Sony security measures, then that intrusion is the fault of Sony, who should have used quality security. Sony didn't encrypt the data (they used a static key that is very easy to crack), and setup the firmwares to transmit full credit card info every time the system was started, also without encryption (no encryption at all; not even static key).
  
  For all we know, someone was just intercepting the confidential and unencrypted information that the machine transmits every time it is turned on, for no reason at all...and they never even got into the PSN servers. The hacking scene warned about criminals doing exactly that quite a while ago (before 3.60 came out), and sony never did anything about it. Yeah, but, I must say that now that the HACKERS are screwing over the people, everyone wants to yell and tell. Before, everyone was praising hackers for everything under the sun but now that they are, allegedly, selling consumer private info, people are p##sed.
  
  The human race is so predictable it is sad.
  

  This is superman

  6.5.2011 13:23 #23

• Oner

  Update to what is being offered to compensate users ~
  
  From the Euro PlayStation.Blog~
  
  Quote:Both Kazuo Hirai and Sir Howard Stringer have stated that we will be offering identity theft protection for those affected by the malicious attack on PlayStation Network and many of you may have seen the details of the service available in North America.
  
  As I have explained previously, creating a similar offering for the many countries within the SCEE region is a very complicated process. Each country has a different way of handling identity theft; some offer relatively sophisticated services whilst others are much more modest.
  
  We are currently in the process of identifying how we manage this situation and once the programme is ready to launch, we will provide details of exactly which services are available in each country and explain how to sign up. We hope to do this early next week.
  
  Also, look out for more information on the rest of our Welcome Back programme, including which free content you will be eligible for. We will be offering PSN users the opportunity to select two PS3 games from a list of five, as well as offering PSP users the opportunity to choose two games from a list of four. We will let you know exactly what games are available very soon.
  
  Please be assured that we are continuing to work around the clock to have some PlayStation Network and Qriocity services restored and will provide you with specific details shortly.
  

  
  
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  6.5.2011 15:44 #24

• ps355528

  I'm going back to sleep.. nothing of any interest to see here zzzzzzzzzzzz :)
  

  
  
  ARR! Them pesky Navy! Get out of my sea!
  irc://irc.villageirc.net/afterdawn http://www.pirateparty.org.uk/

  6.5.2011 17:15 #25