Hackers in “underground” Internet forums have been talking about selling credit card information allegedly stolen during the recent PlayStation Network security attack. Forum chatter is easy to dismiss, but several security experts believe that there might be something there. Here’s a clip from The NY Times:
Kevin Stevens, senior threat researcher at the security firm Trend Micro, said he had seen talk of the database on several hacker forums, including indications that the Sony hackers were hoping to sell the credit card list for upwards of $100,000. Mr. Stevens said one forum member told him the hackers had even offered to sell the data back to Sony but did not receive a response from the company.
“Sony is saying the credit cards were encrypted, but we are hearing that the hackers made it into the main database, which would have given them access to everything, including credit card numbers,” said Mathew Solnik, a security consultant with iSEC Partners who frequents hacker forums to track new hacks and vulnerabilities that could affect his clients. Mr. Solnik said that people on the forums had details about the servers used by Sony, which may indicate that they had direct knowledge of the attack.
I’m not sure about this one. A lot of it seems like fear mongering. I also expect more from The NY Times. Using anonymous forum chatter as a news source is like writing a videogame story based on a NeoGAF thread. Oh wait, that actually happens.
Anyway, what do you guys and dolls make of this? Is it fear mongering? Or are millions of PlayStation Network users at risk?
The ish just keeps piling up for Sony. It was bad enough to get the hacker community mad at Sony in the first place when they went after GeoHot. Then the lawsuits dragged on and legal preceding's kept appearing in the news. Then PSN went down. I lost count of how many times the conversations have gone back and forth from the cc information is out there and that it isn't out there.
Usually I would agree that all press is good press, but I wonder what the long term implications of all of this negative press will actually be?
we can sue sony if we get our money stolen, right?
I already had my bank card swapped. Whether it's true or not, it's not worth the hassle to find out.
Just a case of no honor among thieves.The seller claims to have the 3 digit code from the back of the card which Sony does'nt have since they don't ask for it.
Back from my extended absence.