I don't like the way they do business either, starkers - so I'll not be disagreeing with you on that account (good pun, wot?).

However, I feel they were substandard in their security. This means they are guilty of negligence with respect to their customers imo.

As for the hackers? I don't care what reason they give publicly for their illegal behavior. They are GUILTY of computer crime. END OF STORY.

No amount of ridiculous sophistry can alter that.

The victim is the poor bugger who entrusted negligent SONY with his data. My sympathies are with him and him alone.

starkers... make sure your son takes care of the credit/personal data stuff. You and he certainly don't want further exploitation of his data.

Here's a useful link:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/229301/are_you_a_data_breach_victim_heres_what_to_do.html#tk.fv_rel

Hay Sony hire me I can boil water without burning it... DRY ICE  ...  

wow I am glad I NEVER hooked my PS2 to the internet  or dose this only affect PS3 I don't have one..

link not working

http://lulzsecurity.com/releases/sownage_PRETENTIOUS%20PRESS%20STATEMENT.txt

*feigns surprise*

thanks Dr.JBHL  but this one too is not working for me

The connection has timed out
      The server at lulzsecurity.com is taking too long to respond.

the other 2 in your OP work fine...

Some of you people just don't get it do you?

It doesn't matter what SONY would have done to "protect" the user information.  When groups of individuals who feel they have an axe to grind with a business or the practices of same choose to perform illegal (even if same can only be deemed morally corrupt for the sake of argument) activities/actions against said instiitution then there is nothing that could be done to prevent said actions.

So what if SONY had encrypted information.......then the attack would have just taken longer.  IT security is not unlike having a home security (no matter how basic or complex).  If someone wants into your home badly enough then they will get in.  The objective with any/all IT security (again....not unlike personal security) is to make one the least desirable target.  Obviously (as I've already stated) if an institution or it's practices cause and individual or group to use same as an excuse for being targeted then it is (and always will be) only a matter of time......nothing more.

The best protection for any institution is to hope to not make a target out of themselves.  Of course in a world where everyone seems to have an axe to grind with everyone this seems to have become a rather tall order.

The world we live in suffers from entitlement-itis to a terrible level and until that changes (which of course we know it won't since each new generation adds a new "healthy dose" of entitlement to the equation) nothing will really change for the better.

Oh and starkers......you think PC gaming is immune from what's happening to the consoles? 

The problem's at your end, I'm afraid. Check/reboot your internet connection/modem/router.

I think these types of things are cool. Breaking the system AND getting away with it

Sony messes with people by invalidating their pirated/backuped games and what Starkers said so Sony getting punished for it is gleefully delighting (don't know any other way to say it in english).

Aeligos,

I like your posts. Deep and thoughtprovoking

You won't get very far on WinCustomize by advocating piracy and a backed up game is not the same as a pirated one. I can assure you that starkers will be the last person in the world who would agree about what you said about software piracy. 

TWhile it might suit your sense of (and incorrect definition of) "justice", your equating hackers with Robin of Locksley is way off base: They are nothing but criminals out for their own gain and nothing else.

I'm not on WinCustomize, I'm on Elemental.

I'm not advocating piracy. Just saying it's cool that people fight the system and also that it's nothing strange with it.

You don't know if they're GeoHots friends or a criminal organization.

50 cents and a night with the boss apparently.

That was my first thought when this stuff started coming out, too, Phoon.  Somebody needs to start expanding HIPAA and HITECH laws to other businesses besides healthcare, and maybe there wouldn't be quite so much identity theft going on.

Think "Stardock's sites/forums".

We don't discriminate/differentiate....

So....

It's OK to enter an unlocked building...it ain't trespass.

It's OK to break feeble locks and enter a building ....it ain't B & E.

It's OK to rape and pillage if the victim is defenseless....it ain't a crime....then. 

Defenseless people need to be locked up....evil swine they are.  The use of cheap locks should be a hanging offence.... and anyone leaving a property totally unsecured needs to be summarily shot on sight.

It's good we are clear about just who the criminal is.

For a moment there I thought it might have been the hacker.....