Major Hack Attack Stuns Sony

A Sony hack attack occurred in April 2011, affecting millions of PlayStation Network users. It was only one event in a string of several cybercrime attacks aimed at Sony. The attack on Sony had its beginnings in 2009, when a hacker named George Hotz announced his plan to jailbreak the Sony PlayStation 3 to the world. Hotz was allegedly miffed over Sony’s security controls on the PlayStation. The wunderkind’s fame first began in 2007 when he successfully jailbroke the iPhone.

Then, in March 2010, Sony roused the ire of high-profile hackers when the company hindered the ability to use another operating system on the PlayStation. This move apparently enticed Hotz to spread the word publicly about a way to circumvent Sony’s controls, which resulted in Sony filing a lawsuit against Hotz.

Not one to shy away from controversy, Hotz claimed he was simply allowing users to run other software on the PlayStation. He insisted he remained opposed to piracy. Apparently, in an act of protest over Sony’s dealings with Hotz, Anonymous – a group known for a protest-style hack attack methodology – launched a series denial-of-service attacks on Sony. The group’s stated reason was the defense of free speech.

Within days, Sony issued a statement that the company’s complaint against Hotz had been resolved. That did nothing to put the damper on Anonymous. The hacker group responded by threatening a huge hack attack against Sony. Days later, millions of gamers using the PlayStation had their personal information compromised during the promised massive hack attack. On April 20, Sony was forced to shut down the PlayStation Network while the company assessed the damage.

The data intrusion from the hack attack was a stunning blow to Sony, and it caused numerous headaches to PlayStation users. These included having to cancel credit cards, worries about potential identity theft and a month-long shut down of the Sony PlayStation network. Anonymous subsequently taunted Sony with another intrusion into the company’s online entertainment services on May 1, which the group announced with the message: “We are Legion.”

The resulting data loss from the hack attack affected Sony customers around the world. In June, Sony Pictures suffered a subsequent hack attack, allegedly from the infamous hacker group LulzSec, which posted some of the hacked information online. Information the hackers obtained included around a million usernames and passwords, according to The Washington Post. Meanwhile, according to news reports, Hotz was offered and subsequently accepted a job at Facebook. LulzSec collected donations from supporters of the hack attack.

Various motivations may lie behind a high-profile intrusion. Some people, however, have noted that hackers render a valuable public service. The unauthorized intrusions force companies to confront the vulnerabilities in their software and hardware.

If you are a Sony customer, you may already be back in top competitive form on your favorite PlayStation games. Still, these series of events are a warning you should heed. Stories like this make headlines, but the real threat of infection by malware and computer viruses is one computer users face daily. Antivirus software is a preventive measure you can take, and there are many options available. Creepy code, malware and other nasty computer bugs may hitch rides into your system through your email inbox, a free photograph you download from the internet or even that song you think you just discovered, which might not be an MP3 at all. Instead, it may deliver an ugly little malicious software package disguised as an audio file.

If your computer is infected, running a virus scan with antivirus software can repair a computer-bug infestation. At TopTenREVIEWS, you’ll find reviews of the best antivirus software. Remember, the best umbrella doesn’t keep you dry if you don’t use it. Internet security is a serious matter. Installing security software will aid you in your fight to keep your data safe.

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