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Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in

By | May 9, 2011, 8:25am PDT

Summary: Sony’s self-imposed deadline to get the PlayStation Network back up and running has passed and now the company is saying that further tests are necessary. Even when PSN is back, will gamers trust it?

Sony’s plans to get the PlayStation Network up and running within a week of Kazuo Hirai’s press conference have fallen flat. The Sony Computer Entertainment America chairman spoke to reporters at a press conference in Tokyo a week ago Sunday. Monday has arrived and the network is still down.

The latest missive from the Sony PlayStation Blog seems to lay the blame for the delay at the feet of the Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) break-in. Sony discovered that SOE servers - which run its popular online role playing games - were broken into at the same time as its PlayStation Network and Qriocity service, but only discovered that after Hirai spoke.

“We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system,” reads the blog post, attributed to Patrick Seybold, Sony’s senior director, Corporate Communications & Social Media.

A new report on Bloomberg suggests that Sony is uncertain when services will resume, though the company expects full service to be restored by the end of May. Some news services are reporting this as a further delay, but Sony’s plans to restart services fully by the end of May remain unchanged - that’s what they’ve said before.

Regardless, the missed week deadline is just more bad news for Sony, not to mention increasingly frustrated PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable (PSP) users who are hoping to be able to play each other online and buy content from the PlayStation Store, which has been offline since the service was shut down on April 20, 2011, after Sony discovered that hackers had infiltrated the system and absconded with copies of user account information.

Sony has already promised users a “Welcome Back” program, promising free content, access to its PlayStation Plus service and coverage through an identity theft service, but is it enough? Cautious gamers have already gone through the hassle of canceling credit cards associated with the PlayStation Network. And many PlayStation 3 owners are like me - they have multiple console systems at home.

It’s just one more reason for gamers to turn their attention to the Microsoft Xbox 360 and its Xbox Live online service, which has had outages of its own but nothing to match the disastrous leakage of personal information present in the Sony debacle.

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Peter Cohen

A long-time veteran of the Apple news business, Peter has also spent more than fifteen years covering games and the game industry. A self-proclaimed Alpha Nerd, Peter also professes a love for anime, sci-fi cons, gadgets of all kinds and various geek subcultures.

Disclosure

Peter Cohen

Peter Cohen does not own any stock or have any investments in any of the companies he writes about.

Biography

Peter Cohen

A resident of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Peter has spent more than fifteen years writing about games and the game industry. For a decade Peter was senior editor for Macworld magazine, writing online news and covering the Apple game beat in Macworld's Game Room column.

Peter is currently executive editor for The Loop, an Apple news and analysis site founded by former Macworld editors. He's cohost of Angry Mac Bastards, a weekly podcast that viciously eviscerates some of what passes for Apple-related news and analysis in the tech blogosphere.

Peter is also a freelance technology journalist and reviewer whose words can be found in Macworld, Mac|Life, MacUser, MacFormat and Tap! Magazine.

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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Sgt_Kabukiman 9th May 2011
This is getting beyond ridiculous. If not for Little Big Planet, I'd be done with Sony completely.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
KBot 9th May 2011
@Sgt_Kabukiman

After my 360 broke on me and i bought a new one, i decided to get any multi-platform games on PC. I don't own a ps3 yet, but i still plan on getting one. What I will do is get the ps3 only games for it, most of which i want are single-player anyway, (with the exception of killzone and metal gear solid, although i probably won't play much MGS multi-player). I lost faith in consoles when they don't run cross-platform even when they are set up to do so and their knack for breaking on you, but unless all games come out on all systems, we're stuck with them.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
audidiablo 9th May 2011
@Sgt_Kabukiman

Cloud = Fail
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Bates_ 9th May 2011
Sony can't catch a break. They better have the best E3 ever this year or they are going to be hurting come Q3 and Q4 sales.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
nanotech420 9th May 2011
sony will return as king,,, by the 4th quarter. Once the ps3 capabilities become fully realizable, as in graphics, and im sure once it's fully back online.. it will be Updated. and pretty bad ass (im guessing) I will just buy network cards from the store, for DLC. At least they won't be charging, like crakrox360.
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They don't charge, you're right
Michael Alan Goff 9th May 2011
Of course, I haven't heard about this sort of thing happening to XBL.

Guess you get what you pay for.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Bates_ 9th May 2011
@nanotech420 "crakrox360"? Really? Might want to go back to the drawing board with that one.

And seriously, if by now the PS3 isn't at max capabilities, then Sony and game developers are lacking, and PS4 will be out before they ever reach 100% for PS3.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Linux Geek 9th May 2011
@nanotech420
I agree, as soon as they will reiterate Linux and OSS support, Sony will recover and win!
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Sony to rename their console to NonplayStation3
Bill Pharaoh 9th May 2011
@nanotech420
since you can't seem to play it very well anymore.
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Game Players = Morons
skullfyre 9th May 2011
There is nothing wrong with their PS3s but yet, (shouting at the heavens) "I can't play online. That's it I'm done with SONY."

How about this idiots, we get up in arms over hackers and other schmucks that disturb our way of life. How about a little dealing out death sentences for killing a network, or at the very least life in prison without the chance of parole. Consequences in our society need to be reevaluated. Religion was created to give fear to the uneducated masses. Law was created to quantify good decisions from bad for the immoral and idiot. Maybe it is time to upgrade our laws and start handing out some major smack down.

And then why aren't users more angry at the people that caused the problem and less angry at SONY. I for one have no problems with SONY, how they handle the situation or what they are doing to prevent it again. Little winy babies that can't sit and wait need to thank god they weren't born in a third world nation where water and food may go away at a moments notice and you have no rights.

As long as SONY makes some form of reparations for the time I as a Playstation + subscriber have lost, then they will still receive my business.

Nuff said.
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Except this is partially THEIR FAULT
Michael Alan Goff 9th May 2011
They didn't update their system OR put up good security measures. It'd be like saying we shouldn't be mad at the bank who left their doors open and the bank vault code taped to the actual vault door. We do need to be mad at Sony, they screwed the pooch.
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Interesting points
oncall 9th May 2011
@goff256

However, even if a bank left the doors opened someone entering and cleaning out the place would still be treated as a "criminal" and subject to the same punishment as any other bank robber. Skullfire also has a point, businesses, government and medical facilities are very dependent upon the internet to continue operating. These are major crimes being committed.
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Well, yeah, we should also blame the hackers
Michael Alan Goff 9th May 2011
but it really bugs me that people are happy to allow Sony to get away with something that would get that very bank sued by people. These are major crimes being committed, but that's what makes it worse. The fact that Sony relies on their internet business and didn't do anything to protect it is worse than if a mom-and-pop's store did the same thing.

Sony is an online business and should act like one.
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I doubt people are "happy" with Sony
oncall 9th May 2011
@goff256

This is going to cost Sony millions, maybe even billions, in direct costs, legal fees and lost business. And Sony will never see those costs recouped from the guilty parties. This is about treating a serious crime as a serious crime.
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Ummm you guys need to read about this more!
rockstar8577 9th May 2011
@goff256
If you guys would read the group that supposedly attacked Sony arent any normal hackers. They are pretty much the best of the best. Go and google about them. You will see articles of how they have a big influence over the internet and how big they really are.

Now that Sony got attacked doesnt mean they weren't secure. No computer system is 100% secure and never will be, and no network is 100% secure and again never will be. Sony just got unlucky that they had this group attack them.

Also goff like you said about the banks getting sued, well Sony is getting sued too so you know.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Michael Alan Goff 10th May 2011
"Now that Sony got attacked doesnt mean they weren't secure. No computer system is 100% secure and never will be, and no network is 100% secure and again never will be. Sony just got unlucky that they had this group attack them."

But they were.

They were using unpatched servers with no firewall. They WERE insecure and they SHOULD get flogged for it. I'm glad they're getting sued, maybe they'll learn to hit the update button every once in a while on their apache server and maybe they'll install actual security.

We can hope.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
rockstar8577 11th May 2011
@goff256
Wheres the proof that they werent using updated servers? Second just because something isnt updated doesnt mean its not secure. There are a lot of things that are good but arent yet up to date.

"But they were"
Did you not read any of what i said? Because you totally disregarded it. And so because they got unlucky your gonna lash at them?

Also your glad that they are getting sued, even though they got attacked, even though they had a secure system? And dont say they dont have a secure system because they got attacked. The fact of the matter is that they got attacked by the elites. These people could go after anyone if they wanted too.
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Unlucky?
Michael Alan Goff 12th May 2011
They weren't secure.

http://consumerist.com/2011/05/security-expert-sony-knew-its-software-was-obsolete-months-before-psn-breach.html

"According to Spafford, security experts monitoring open Internet forums learned months ago that Sony was using outdated versions of the Apache Web server software, which "was unpatched and had no firewall installed." The issue was "reported in an open forum monitored by Sony employees" two to three months prior to the recent security breaches, said Spafford."

They didn't have a secure system, they didn't have an up-to-date system. You can argue all day that Sony was secure, but evidence shows otherwise.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
rockstar8577 13th May 2011
@goff256
Did you read the first lines of your quote? It says "According to". This means that it is speculation. http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/712499/sony-denies-claims-their-servers-were-outdated-lacking-firewalls/ This link says that the servers werent outdated. So alls it is, is here say. And most likely their servers were updated, patched and had a firewall, else someone would have got in a long time ago.
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"It could be either way, but"
Michael Alan Goff 13th May 2011
Since Sony (the group that got hacked) said there was nothing they could do about it... you'll get go along with it and believe them.

Really?
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Umm its Anonymous.......
rockstar8577 15th May 2011
@goff256
Look at the group that attacked them. Of course there was nothing they could do. They could have the best protection and they were still gonna get in.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
flargh 9th May 2011
@skullfyre You're right, ultimately the hacker or hackers who broke in to PSN and SOE are to blame. But Sony shoulders responsibility for not securing their system effectively enough to begin with. We're not hearing about problems like this at Xbox Live or Netflix or iTunes - why? Because apparently those services are more secure than Sony's - surely not because hackers have never thought to attack them.

- Peter
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Of course it's more secure
Michael Alan Goff 9th May 2011
From everything I've read, their (Sony's) Apache Web Server was years behind patching and they had no firewall.
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Sony knew that hackers were out there
Bill Pharaoh 9th May 2011
@skullfyre
and they knew these hackers would look for things to hack, yet acted like they wouldn't be a target.

If you have a big name, a big business, with big online purchases and the rest, wouldn't you assume that somebody would try to break in?

I assume Sony made a decent profit from the site, they couldn't spend a tiny bit more money to make sure it was up to date?
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
audidiablo 9th May 2011
Very simple...

Sony needs to work on security and make sure everything is encrypted...

Another thing... For everyone with blind faith...

Cloud = Fail

Understand more of this is to come as more idiots move to the cloud. People who still have real computers will be doing what they do best, disrupt the web. When all the eggs are in one basket then you have one target... I cannot believe where the US society is headed... To the cloud to be left in ruins... Protect yourself people and protect your personal data... Hence Personal Computer is meant for personal data.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
DetJohnKimbal 9th May 2011
After reading that the 31st may be the date for psn restoration, and sony stating that it should be back up ''within the week'', I felt like smashimg my ps3, and mailing it back to SONY with a most sincere F.U. note! Microsft may just have a new customer VERY soon.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
Grayson Peddie 9th May 2011
Gee, who cares about playing games online? For me, I don't. I'd be happy to buy a PS3 and Final Fantasy XIII and play the game in single player mode. happy
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
poyntek 9th May 2011
This is taking too long, I do like my PS3, but this is too much time to wait. Sony better get it's act together soon or they will be out in the cold. The new Wii 2 is coming out soon and is supposed to be more powerful than the PS3, it looks like it's going to be pretty cool...

http://www.tech-adventures.com/2011/04/nintendo-says-wii-2-is-in-works.html
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
tech_monster 9th May 2011
As a PS3 and 360 Owner, I can tell you that PlayStation Plus isn't much of a "welcome back"...
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Author = Biased
Toque_3D Updated - 9th May 2011
Microsoft has been broken in to before on major scales... The catch? Microsoft brings their stuff up in a few hours and doesn't tell anyone. It becomes really funny and annoying how everyone seems to think that Sony is losing money over this. Sony doesn't just do Playstation. They do movies, hardware (Sony Vaio with Microsoft windows... SHOCKER!), Sony television entertainment (tv shows... What?), Sony does literally everything. This little thing with the PSN being down is a drop in the pan. Yes, it's probably a lot of money they're losing, but if it were gone tomorrow the powerhouse that is the Sony corporation would hardly feel it.

Xbox? Microsoft... Microsoft does Xbox, software, and now phones... If their Live service was down (and it has been for phones... and the Xbox... A LOT! Anyone else remember those two weeks during X-Mas a couple years ago?) Well if they lost the console war... MS would stand to lose a lot. Because they are literally a small company compared to the broad scale that Sony is. American companies cannot compete with Japanese power house companies. And Xbox fixed the red ring of death? LMAO! Yeah, they took out the red LED's... Now, these stupid things die silently.

I will wait for the PSN because getting fraud protection for a year for free is an expensive service that I am pretty happy they are giving away for free. (Your precious Micro$uck wouldn't do that.)

I have had a better gaming (EXPERIENCE) on PSN than on Xbox. It seems like Live is full of know it all douche bags and PSN has people who actually listen to what comes out of their mouths.

Have fun on Live because I'm not going to pay for sub-par service, and cross game chat... The reason PSN doesn't have it is because Live gamers like to hear themselves talk while PSN gamers enjoy actually playing the games without having some whiny douche in their ears.
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Communication?...No really?...What was that Job title again?
Bomber1963 9th May 2011
The only thing I'm miffed about is the total Lack Of Communication between Sony and its customers. Day after day It's the same B.S.On the PSN BLOG Now it's been 3 days without a single update from Mr. Seybold (Dir. of Communication)...Really?... HELLO...hello...hello...hello (Echo) I say as I stare at a seemingly abandoned PSN BLOG.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
BogWraith Updated - 9th May 2011
They didn't patch their servers, nor even have a firewall people!

I love some here who call others idiots & morons, and are willing to make excuses for a multi billion dollar corporation who are completely oblivious to how the real world works.
Sony has always been an arrogant entity. Now their arrogance bites them in the ass!


No, this will cost Sony HUGE! As it should.
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plz stop cryin n bjtchin lol
Tom Collins Jr 10th May 2011
a free month + 1 day for each day it's been down is good enough for me. i just wish they'd hurry the fukc up.
if they were top of the line in security, they still would have gotten hacked. so stop bringing that siht up.

my guess is that it was a disgruntled employee(s) , you know they did just lay off a fukcton of ppl. they had 3 locations i think, sandiego, denver, and florida? only the sandiego 1 is open etc now i believe. the massive downsizing was prehack. why doesnt anyone connect the dots??? they have massive downsizing THEN get hacked beyond belief. anon isnt stupid enough to leave evidence behind pointing at them, that's silly. the ordeal w/ george is over anyways
so if anything, maybe, they could have prepared for a backlash from the down sizing? i mean its hard enough to get a solid job atm, they let a lot of ppl go. those ppl have bellies to fill etc.
1. let go of tons of ppl
2. get hacked to death.
should have been..
1. beef up security bc we're bout to fire mass ppl
2. finish eq next
3. fire those lazy bums lol
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hmmmm....
Divinety 11th May 2011
Lets not forget that SOE is a Japanese based company and even through all that happened in Japan they managed to keep it together, well because of that tragedy they too lost alot of money and is probably why they had to lay off all those hackers. Also dont forget that they have Grade A customer service, and if you dont believe me try calling NCSoft customer service and see what happens...atleast when you call SOE customer service they tell you your calling collect and treat you like your some one. The US suing SOE is not going to get the servers up any quicker, infact that may just slow them down.

I too will still be here when Sony gets back online and will not give in to NCSoft

Sincerly, Loyal SOE customer
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hmmmm....
Divinety 11th May 2011
Lets not forget that SOE is a Japanese based company and even through all that happened in Japan they managed to keep it together, well because of that tragedy they too lost alot of money and is probably why they had to lay off all those hackers. Also dont forget that they have Grade A customer service, and if you dont believe me try calling NCSoft customer service and see what happens...atleast when you call SOE customer service they tell you your calling collect and treat you like your some one. The US suing SOE is not going to get the servers up any quicker, infact that may just slow them down.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
michaelrahl 12th May 2011
My 2 cents, if SOE didnt make a habit of screwing over they're customers with unwanted patches(like the NGE.) They wouldn't be getting hacked. This is Karma smacking them upside the head. My hats off to whoever did this, couldnt have picked a more deserving target.
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
MEJIAHA 30th Sep
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0 Votes
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RE: Sony delays PlayStation Network restart, citing SOE break-in
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.

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