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Helen Lewis

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Praise be! The PlayStation Network is back online again

After a three-week shutdown, I can once again play Little Big Planet the way nature intende

By Helen Lewis Published 15 May 2011 21:42

It's over. After three weeks without access to user-generated Little Big Planet levels, life is back to normal.

Just before Easter, Sony detected a "external intrusion" on PlayStation's online network, PSN, which potentially meant its 77 million users were vulnerable to credit card fraud. It's taken until now to get the service back online again. Britain's access was restored about 6pm and other regions followed later.

Japan is still not back online because the country's government is seeking more assurances about strengthened security.

The big question that is still unanswered is this: was any credit or debit card information stolen in a usable form? Sony insists that its data was protected and there have been no reports of theft. And anyway, the company says it doesn't store the three-digit security code on the back of cards on its servers, instead taking this from users with every transaction.

Another question is why it took Sony so long to confirm the attack. It happened on 17, 18 or 19 April and yet was only confirmed on 26 April. It blamed the hack on the Anonymous collective but Anonymous have denied responsibility.

Sony says that it's vital for users to change their PSN passwords (and change their passwords generally if they use the same one on several sites) as soon as the service resumes in their area. They're hoping to calm the inevitable consumer agenda with a choice of free games and other goodies.

In the US, the company is offering $1m identity theft insurance and a similar scheme is expected to be extended to Britain.

As I type, I'm looking at an updated user agreement . . . I wonder if it there will be a clause in there saying I can't blame Sony if something similar happens again. Oh well, let's hope Sony is better at rebuilding network servers than I am at steering Sackboy around.

Tags: games

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7 comments

Sun, 2011-05-15 22:24 — Spud Middleton (not verified)

"After a three-week shutdown, I can once again play Little Big Planet the way nature intended."

I won't pretend I know what "Little Big Planet" might be or even what the Playstation Network is, never mind what nature intended for you...although I'm guessing that it might be to reproduce as quickly and fervently as possible, raise your progeny to self sufficiency then sacrifice yourself in as efficient and self-effacing a manner as possible in order to free up and maximise the available resources for your offspring...however, since you're presumably paid for this and, so able to more copiously , I'll have to reassess playing stupid fucking games in terms of evolutionarily adaptivity.

This revelation devastates me. Although not quite as much as I was devastated to find that an adolescence spent behind the drawn suburban curtains of a teenage bedroom, practising the guitar and knocking out woefully jejune and mawkish lyrics, provided the fortunate few with unparalleled access to nubile females. How the fuck was I supposed to know?

There I was: playing football; performing death defying stunts on the swings; rolling 7 skin spliffs one-handed; picking fights with anyone who gave me a funny look; generally making Marlon Brando look like a cack-handed pussy...and what happened?...OK some short term success...but then the useless 'creative' episcene twat with two left feet who hadn't seen daylight in 10 years and couldn't find a bra-strap without a Geiger-counter and a GPS; whose 'poetry' might have come from one of the infinite typewriting monkeys who hadn't randomly knocked out Hamlet...gets the fuckin gal(s).

I bear no grudges...I'm not bitter...but my own son plays sports...boxes...can't stand Playstations. What do I tell him?

Wise up kid...start playing that shit...it's cultural dynamite?

Everthing's shit these days...mind you, it always was. But surely, virtual shit is worse, no?

Sun, 2011-05-15 22:28 — Spud Middleton (not verified)

Oh shit......however, since you're presumably paid for this and, so able to more copiously , I'll have to...

should have been:

"...however, since you're presumably paid for this and, so able to more copiously prepare your 'genetic' self for multiplicity...I'll have to...

I really will have to start reading what I...yawn...ZZZ..

Mon, 2011-05-16 12:03 — bonk (not verified)

Its good to see PSN back you can only hope Sony have learnt harsh lesson's from this mess and treat customers information like gold.

People will forgive them this time but i fear they've used up their chance with most people but we'll see.

Mon, 2011-05-16 13:21 — VacillatingDichotomy (not verified)

Well, it's good to see it back up again, but this should never have happened in the first place.

Sony will have to ensure their security is AAA standard, as once a company starts being targeted by hacktivists, they rarely stop. This will probably mean more firmware updates for legit users, as the hackers may have used a hacked PS3 to infiltrate the PSN.

Mon, 2011-05-16 13:26 — VacillatingDichotomy (not verified)

It would also seem that it's not back up in Japan yet - http://www.mcvuk.com/news/44325/Japanese-government-blocks-PSN-reboot