PSN Network Servers Used To Share Leaked Info From Recent Sony Hack (And Why Gamers Should Care)
As a preface, Sony Pictures, a subsidiary of popular technology and PlayStation gaming conglomerate – Sony, was the victim of a recent, devastating hacking attack (which led to the taking of over 100 TBs of data) that crippled the studio’s network.
To give a general perspective on the incident, the company isn’t just dealing with locked-up computers or frozen networks. The recent hack revealed much more than that: Current and upcoming films (Fury, Annie, to name a couple) have been leaked, confidential company documents, employee salaries, alongside various pieces of sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and health information.
Furthermore, the personal data leaked from the attack has nearly 4,000 Sony employees at the risk of identity theft.
The incident is likely to be an extreme financial burden for the company and has been aptly dubbed “The Sony-pocalypse.”
Apparently, the malicious software used to hack Sony Pictures is so malevolent that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning other companies to be cautious lest they be hacked themselves.
Read more details regarding Sony Pictures recent hacking and how their PlayStation brand fits into the situation after the break.
PlayStation Network Servers Sharing Hacked Sony Info
Early speculation put the blame on two main suspects, North Korea and a hacking group calling themselves the ‘Guardians of Peace.”
Interestingly, some experts are saying that the attack may have been North Korea’s response to upcoming film, The Interview, a comedy whose premise concerns a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Moving on to the real meat of the matter, it appears much of the files and information taken by the hackers from Sony is being publicly leaked using sites such as Pastebin and illegal file-sharing sites (4shared, The Pirate Bay, et cetera.)
However, what is truly intriguing about the entire situation (especially in regards to gamers) is that security researchers have discovered that the leaked files are being shared by servers and computer systems belonging to the PlayStation Network.
This discovery is particularly alarming due to the fact that it opens up discussion regarding the possibility of either hackers or private torrents operating on the same server infrastructure used by Sony/PlayStation Network. This would be especially concerning when taking 2011’s month-long PlayStation Network outage and this year’s numerous DDoS attacks into account.
Gamers that utilize Sony’s PlayStation Network (which is essentially everyone who owns a Sony PlayStation console – PS3, PS4) should be wary that private, sensitive data such as financial or personal information could potentially be hacked/taken and subsequently shared in a manner similar to the Sony Pictures attack.
Not much more information as been revealed in regards to the PlayStation side of things, and it is not certain that PlayStation Network users are truly at risk of being hacked. However, the fact that computer servers owned by the PlayStation Network are being used to share sensitive information is something to keep in mind.
While there may or may not be any chance of a similar attack occurring to PSN sometime in the future, Sony undoubtedly needs to bolster up their defenses on all technical fronts so something of this magnitude has no chance of happening again.
What are your thoughts on this information? Were you aware of the recent Sony Pictures hack? What do you think of it?
Also, what is your opinion on PSN servers being used to share Sony Pictures’ hacked/leaked information? Do you believe that PlayStation users are at risk? Why or why not?
Let us know in the comments section below! As always, stay tuned to GamerHeadlines.com for the latest in video game and technology news.