General Security Concerns - UPDATE: change email to PSN accounts ASAP

Hey PS3 forum posters,

With the recent news about a type of security breach to your PlayStation Network account information, we'd like to make sure you are also considering all of your accounts you have on the web, which might also be easily accessible to someone with personal information about you.

You might have heard it before, but I'll repeat it again. If you have an email registered at a website, and you know that your password or information has been breached there, immediately take action on all of your personal accounts attached to that email. Do your best to never reveal an email that is attached to accounts that are important such as a credit card, bank account, and paypal type of service.

Never have the same password on one website or service as you have with another. Once an account has been breached, especially an email or instant messanger, it becomes easier to target other accounts you might have. For an example, it's quite easy to restore or reset passwords once someone has breached your email, If you'd like to brush up on what we've shared before, drop by this tip of the week.

There are other people who have shared concerns about identify theft, so drop by to read their experiences. Renzokucant made a thread here to give you some pointers, and Chilidragon also shared some general advice a while back.

Here are a couple of items worthy of considering from PSN's Official FAQ:

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17. I got an email from you asking for my PSN/Qriocity sign-in ID and password. Is it really you asking for this information?
Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking.

18. What should I do to avoid having my personal information compromised?
For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, postal mail or other scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. Additionally, if you use the same user name or password for your PlayStation Network or Qriocity service account for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change the information for those accounts.

19. Why did Sony wait until now to tell PSN users that their personal information may have been compromised?
The nature of the intrusion required that we undertake an extensive and thorough investigation of the matter, which took considerable effort and time. We needed to make sure that we knew and understood the facts before providing the appropriate notice to PlayStation Network users.

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UPDATE 5/18

REMINDER:Read through this Rumor Control news piece we have today, and don't forget to change your email so you're not such an easy target to hack. If you have to, create a new email that NOBODY knows.

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Canuck3k

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Canuck3k

[QUOTE="Canuck3k"]

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Flame_Blade88

I haven't received one, is this because I'm in the UK or something?DarthJohnova

I think it's because they're sending out the e-mails in batches. For instance: I received the e-mail yesterday but others are reporting just having gotten it today. Why they didn't do it all at once I don't know -- I'd wager that the PSN Network being down has something to do with it, though (perhaps it locked them out of the tools they use to send out a Network wide message?).

When I called the credit card company, the dude knew I was calling about PS before I even said it. lolz

He also told me that I was safe, and the they're on watch for "suspicious* charges, and that I will be contacted and everything would be fixed if anything were to actually happen.

[QUOTE="DarthJohnova"] I haven't received one, is this because I'm in the UK or something?c_rake

I think it's because they're sending out the e-mails in batches. For instance: I received the e-mail yesterday but others are reporting just having gotten it today. Why they didn't do it all at once I don't know -- I'd wager that the PSN Network being down has something to do with it, though (perhaps it locked them out of the tools they use to send out a Network wide message?).

Sucks for all those who have used their credit/debt cards on PSN. I've always have used PSN cards and will continue to do so in the future.

So will Sony let us change our security question that we created when we first set up our PSN account?

So will Sony let us change our security question that we created when we first set up our PSN account?Vari3ty

I would hope so. They would be stupid not to.

My dad's still pretty frustrated about this whole thing.

(No, I'm not in middle school or something, I'm in high school. Shut up. :P)

We talked about it several times, and he's blaming Sony for latencies in their server software. Of course it's the hacker's fault, but that's like blaming a tornado for property damage instead of the building contractors who promised to make near-indestructible buildings.

They are probably going to make you change your security question. They are definetly forcing us to change our password. Q: When or how can I change my PlayStation Network password?
A: We are working on a new system software update that will require all users to change their password once PlayStation Network is restored. We will provide more details about the new update shortly. -Playstation.Blog

My dad's still pretty frustrated about this whole thing.

(No, I'm not in middle school or something, I'm in high school. Shut up. :P)

We talked about it several times, and he's blaming Sony for latencies in their server software. Of course it's the hacker's fault, but that's like blaming a tornado for property damage instead of the building contractors who promised to make near-indestructible buildings.

KillerWabbit23

Thanks Jody. This whole thing has made me ticked off, like everyone else. Luckly I didn't have any credit card info on my account, normally when I shop on steam or any other virtual store, I add my info, buy what I want, then delete it off my account. Changed my passwords to my email and steam account, so I am now set.

Hopefully this or these hackers are caught and put to justice. I am so sick of hackers and truely don't understand why people do it in the first place.

It's because sending 70 million e-mails at once would crash their system...

did not take any email from sony yet, but take care from scammmers, but shall we change the password of our account or the old one is safley ???

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Canuck3k

Thanks, chica! I've followed most of those ideas you've mentioned, but it's good to know I was on the right track. In protecting my identity, I mean.

did not take any email from sony yet, but take care from scammmers, but shall we change the password of our account or the old one is safley ???

djseebee

So did the hackers get CC info or just the other stuff?Deathtransit

[QUOTE="djseebee"]

did not take any email from sony yet, but take care from scammmers, but shall we change the password of our account or the old one is safley ???

starwarsjunky

so i will change it as soon as coming back, thanks

So they pretty much just have to break encryption to get all our CC details?

So they pretty much just have to break encryption to get all our CC details?

OmenUK

[QUOTE="OmenUK"]

So they pretty much just have to break encryption to get all our CC details?

starwarsjunky

Has anyone else gotten an e-mail from sony about having their personal info taken? I just got one, and I want to know if they sent that to everyone, or just the people who did indeed have their info taken.

Canuck3k

I have no idea cause I forgot the password of my connected email adress, so I created a new one, meaning this whole identity theft scandal has virtually nothing to with me other than my youtube and gamespot accounts, and obviously psn.

For crying out loud, the hackers don't give a damn about personal or CC info, it's a personal thing between them and Sony. crymoar

Your wrong, the hackers may not care about the information, but others do, and the hackers know this, and could, and probably will sell it to the highest bidder,meaning every single detail on that list of PSN users could be in the hands of someone willing to make money by defrauding companies using false details gained by buying our information.

^FBI and Dpt of Home Security releasing the banhammer...Win

so should i cancel my credit card?

so should i cancel my credit card?

nicko44

[QUOTE="nicko44"]

so should i cancel my credit card?

Mochyc

Finally someone who sees what Sony sees, not just blaming Sony all the time. Two annoying things to hear: "OMG Sony how could you let someone get my information?!?!?" - You gave them it, nough said. "I want compensation!" - You get free service, go to Xbox if it bothers you, people on PSN+ are the only ones who have the right to want a refund, at best you'll get a few free months of PSN+(maybe even free users).JohnF111

Yeah I agree with you there. Yes I would have liked Sony to have upped their security measures BEFORE hand - they do have 77 million people registered to PSN after all. But technology advances all the time, the hackers must have gotten a hold of some damn good tech to do this.

So stop blaming Sony and be annoyed at the Hackers, their the ones that caused this.

[QUOTE="Mochyc"][QUOTE="nicko44"]

so should i cancel my credit card?

bbkkristian

I don't think it matters what kind of card it is, i've never had to cancel one before but thay can't refuse to cancel it could they? "No sir/madam we're not canceling your card" :lol:

But if you have any doubts id cancel it and get a new one just to be on the safe side. I've checked my account a few times and everything seems to be ok so... Just up to you really.

So stop blaming Sony and be annoyed at the Hackers, their the ones that caused this.AudioPrison

[QUOTE="AudioPrison"]So stop blaming Sony and be annoyed at the Hackers, their the ones that caused this.OmenUK

I don't understand the need for the thanks there, but each to their own.

I had a email from my bank today asking me to update my information on my online bank account. It seems odd that I would get this right after PSN was hacked. I obviously did not goto the link, since my bank would never send me anything like this via email as its widely known these are scams. FWIW im in Canada and the bank is TD. Mafty

[QUOTE="AudioPrison"]So stop blaming Sony and be annoyed at the Hackers, their the ones that caused this.OmenUK

i'm good so far since i changed all my passwords