Hackers Claim Sony Hit with Second Massive Data Breach

Sony may have been hit with the second massive data breach in just over a month, says a group of hackers that claim they were responsible for the attack. The group, known as LulzSec, says it pulled off what it describes as an elementary attack on Sony’s “disgraceful” security.

Sony Faces Second Security Breach

While Sony says that it can’t confirm the breach and will be looking into the situation, LulzSec had already posted the data, including passwords, e-mail addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, on its own website.

The Associated Press called one of the numbers listed on the website and found that it belonged to Mary Tanning, an 84-year-old woman living in Minnesota. She answered the phone and confirmed the data posted to LulzSec’s site, including her password, which she said she would be changing.

Other people contacted AP confirming that their passwords had been published online as well. They expressed their disappointment with Sony and distress over the fact that they were so vulnerable to identity theft at no fault of their own.

This is the second massive data breach Sony faces in just over a month. On May 1, Sony issued an apology after losing millions of credit card numbers through its PlayStation Network on April 19.

Are Our Online Identities Safe?

In the wake of Sony’s recent data breaches, along with the Epsilon data breach in April, the question of whether consumers’ and browsers’ identities are safe online has become pertinent.

Is it possible that our personal data isn’t safe even after a company claims its site is secure?

Congress asked this question to both Sony and e-mail marketing provider, Epsilon, on Thursday during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, which is a part of the House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee.

The president of Sony Network Entertainment International told the subcommittee that the company has been reminded that no one is immune to a cyber-attack. Both companies say they support national legislation for data security and breach notification.

The Sony hack is believed to have affected 77 million online PlayStation Network games and 8,500 additional user accounts while millions more were affected by the Epsilon breach that compromised the personal data of customers with Barclays Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Best Buy Co., Walgreen Co., and TiVo Inc., among others.

So far, those affected by Sony’s latest data breach say they haven’t been contacted officially by the company, but they hope they will not only receive an apology for the issue but see some real effort to secure their data the right way.