Following the recent hacking that compromised customer data and forced the shutdown of the PlayStation Network, Qriocity and Sony Online Entertainment Game Services, Sony has announced that restoration of the services is now being done on a country by country basis beginning in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East.
– The first phase of restored services for these countries and regions will include:
– Sign-in for PlayStation®Network and Qriocity services, including the resetting of passwords
– Restoration of online game-play across PS3 and PSP Playback rental video content, if within rental period, of PlayStation Network Video Delivery Service on PS3, PSP and MediaGo
– Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity, for current subscribers, on PS3 and PC
– Access to 3rd party services such as Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and MLB.tv
– ‘Friends’ category on PS3, including Friends List, Chat Functionality, Trophy Comparison, etc
PlayStation Home
Increased Security Measures:
The company has made considerable enhancements to the data security, including updating and adding advanced security technologies, additional software monitoring and penetration and vulnerability testing, and increased levels of encryption and additional firewalls. The company also added a variety of other measures to the network infrastructure including an early-warning system for unusual activity patterns that could signal an attempt to compromise the network.
“I’d like to send my sincere regret for the inconvenience this incident has caused you, and want to thank you all for the kind patience you’ve shown as we worked through the restoration process,” said Kazuo Hirai, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation. “I can’t thank you enough for your patience and support during this time. We know even the most loyal customers have been frustrated by this process and are anxious to use their Sony products and services again.”
“While we understand the importance of getting our services back online, we did not rush to do so at the expense of extensively and aggressively testing our enhanced security measures. Our consumers’ safety remains our number one priority,” Hirai continued. “We want to assure our customers that their personal information is being protected with some of the best security technologies available today, so that everyone can feel comfortable enjoying all that PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer.”
The restoration of the services across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East are beginning, and consumers will be able to enjoy some of the online functionality provided by both the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. Phased restoration in Japan and other Asian countries and regions will be announced in due course. The company expects to have the services fully restored by the end of May 2011.
The company will be offering customers a “Welcome Back” package of services and premium content to all registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity account services. The details of this program will be announced in each region shortly.
For more information about the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services intrusion and restoration, please visit http://blog.us.playstation.com/ or http://blog.eu.playstation.com/
