Erm, I really don't think you realize what COMPROMIZED PERSONAL DATA means. It means that the hackers have access to PSN user's credit card numbers addresses, phone numbers, and anything else that was stored on the PSN servers. Whether or not the hackers use this info is completely irrelevant. Fact of the matter is, they CAN use it. Obviously, you don't care about the fact that you very easily could become a victom of identity theft, but rather, care only about protecting Sony. It's kinda sad actually.

You obviously completely ignored every comment that was made so far on this thread.

Only the stupid ones...so yeah...lol

You can't be certain if the personal data was taken, even if it was, big deal. Names and addresses are useless, that kind of stuff can be found on Facebook or through a Google search.

You can't be certain it wasn't. If I was a PSN user I would be doing the smart thing and canceling my credit cards associated with with my PSN account. Also, I would be pissed that Sony allowed my personal info, which I gave to them in confidence that they wouldn't let anybody else see it, to get comprimised. No matter how you spin this, it's a big deal, sure my personal info can be retrieved from the internet if somebody looks for it, but in this case, the hackers didn't have to go looking for it, it was all in one place. FYI Sony IS offering a 1 Mil dollar identity theft insurance policy to all PSN users, if the personal data was not comprimised, they wouldn't be doing that. ; )

The only cause for concern is credit card numbers, which weren't thought to be taken, they didn't have a PIN and they were heavily encrypted. By now you probably have no idea what I am talking about, just read the statements from SONY and quickly google "encryption". Then try to access your bank account without a PIN number and maybe your common sense will kick in.

No, no, and no. Hackers can do a lot if they have your email address, and even more if they have an email address attatchted to a phone number or home address. And I'de like to know what kind of encription was used...just because they were supposably heavily encrypted doesn't mean that the incription method was worth jack. Once again, it doesn't matter, Sony doesn't know if hackers were able to get through the encryption or not, and that is reason enough for concern.

You are proving my point even further, I AM protecting SONY, because they are being criticised for things they never did or for things that never even happened, there are too many gullable morons on the internet who are going to believe everything they read.

Your point doesn't have a leg to stand on. Once again, you would rather protect Sony, a multi million dollar corporatiuon that doesn't give a rats ass about you until you pull out your wallet, than look out for your own interests and do everything in your power to ensure you don't get taken by Identity theives, which could end up destroying any hopes of a future for you.

brendude13 said:

lots of stuff

So 90% of people on this thread are stupid?

Well, I could name a few, but for the most part, that was just a silly comment, hence the "lol"

So what if it was taken? I don't need to cancel my credit cards because the bottom line is, they can't use them. Once again you ignored my comment about encryption and the lack of a bank PIN, do you have selective reading or are you really that stupid? And on paper this is a disaster for SONY, because in the end personal data was leaked. In the end, the consumer shouldn't care though because that personal data can be obtained anyway. I could walk up the road, smash open a letter box and wham, I immediately have the names and addresses of thousands of people. What exactly can I do that is so harmful, send them junk mail?

You don't need to cancel your credit cards, but it would be the smart thing to do.

You obviously missed the part where I addressed your comment about encryption, it's pointless unless you know what kind of encryption was used, also, for all we know the server passwords were also "heavily encrypted" but it would seem the hackers got through those.

The bank pin left me with a question...are you talking debt cards? because those can be used without a pin, and actual credit cards don't even have a pin, not here in the US anyway.

In the end, it does matter that the consumers data was comprimised, in the end it makes it that much easier for identity theives to victimize you. Lemme ask you this would you leave your liquer cabinet unlocked in your house if you had a chronic alcoholic as a guest? Sure, the alcoholic could smash the cabinet open, or pry it open with a crow bar, but you don't make it easy for the alcoholic to get the alcohol, why? because it may discourage said alcoholic from trashinhg your house after he/she gets drunk. It's the same deal here, throw around your personal data thinking "oh, well identity thieves can find this data on the web, so I don't need to be careful with it." That's like locking your liquer cabinet, then leaving the key on the kitchen table because the alcoholic can just ransack the house and find the key.

Anyway, what you can do with another person's adress, and what identity thieves can do with the very same adress are two very different things. The identity theives can find out a plethora of info, take out new credit cards, and take out loans just by getting your address.

Why is SONY offering a 1 million identity theft policy? I'll let maths solve this one. 10 million credit cards are linked to PSN, 10 million x 1 million = 10 trillion dollars. Do you really think SONY can just cough up 10 trillion dollars, or even a fraction of that? ...No.

I don't think you understand what an identity theft policy is, or how much it costs, here is a link for your enjoyment! https://www.identityedge.com/signup/ 1 million dollar plans start at just $149.99 a year, so Sony doesn't have to cough up 1 mil.

That policy is there for piece of mind, to calm down the gullable and paranoid morons who believe everything they read, instead of finding out everything for themselves, no offence.

Is the world about to end for me? I don't think so.

That wasn't smart, I would edit your post to delete that info...I'm not joking here. Like I said before, identity thieves can do more than you can imagine whith just your address.

And encryption is very hard to get through, unless they have somebody from SONY on the inside then they are not getting those credit card numbers anytime soon. And I don't know how things work in America, but here in the UK, credit card numbers are useless without a 4 digit security pin, which was confirmed not to be taken.

Not really, if you know what you are doing, you can slice through most encryption like its wet paper. As for the pin numbers, you don't think they can find that once they have your credit card number? please!

I would happily protect SONY, if this incident is seriously overblown then SONY's business is going to be damaged despite being nothing more than a heap of lies and rumours. I have already proven my point about identity theft not being a problem. The more the media talk out their ass, the more consumers lose faith in SONY, when the consumers lose faith in SONY, then developers lose faith in SONY. There is a huge knock on effect, the result is I have less games to play, and less friends to play with.

Hate to burst you bubble, but this is a very real situation here, if you choose not to believe the "lies and rumers" (utter BS btw) fine, but I've done everything I could to warn you that this is much more seriouse that you think. The media is hyping a huge story...what else is new?  Breaking a large news story is hardly "talking out of one's ass".