Sony: 25 Million Sony Online Entertainment Accounts Compromised

Says personal information from approximately 24.6 million subscribers to its PC games network may have been stolen, as well as “certain information from an outdated database from 2007.”

As if hacker intrusion into Sony’s PlayStation network wasn’t enough, the company announced yesterday that the Sony Online Entertainment PC games network was also compromised. Today Sony said the hackers may have stolen customer information on 24.6 million subscribers.

“This information, which was discovered by engineers and security consultants reviewing SOE systems, showed that personal information from approximately 24.6 million SOE accounts may have been stolen, as well as certain information from an outdated database from 2007,” says the company in a press release. “The information from the outdated database that may have been stolen includes approximately 12,700 non-U.S. credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes), and about 10,700 direct debit records of certain customers in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.”

So what kind of info have the hackers obtained? It includes:

• name
• address
• e-mail address
• birthdate
• gender
• phone number
• login name
• hashed password.

However, those “unlucky” enough to reside in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain, the 10,700 direct debit records also detail:

• bank account number
• customer name
• account name
• customer address.

SOE says it plans to give affected customers 30 days of free additional time on their subscriptions as well as one free additional day for each day the system is down.

Sony said yesterday that some of its PlayStation network services will go back online sometime this week, and that it plans to implement a “Welcome Back” program to try and heal the rift caused by allowing hackers to compromise the credit card information of 70-77 million PSN network customers.

Stay tuned.

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