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| Sony to compensate as Anonymous denies involvement | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Online vigilante group Anonymous has denied being behind an attack that led to the theft of personal data from more than 100 million PlayStation users. | Online vigilante group Anonymous has denied being behind an attack that led to the theft of personal data from more than 100 million PlayStation users. |
| "Let's be clear, we are legion, but it wasn't us. You are incompetent Sony," Anonymous wrote on its blog. | "Let's be clear, we are legion, but it wasn't us. You are incompetent Sony," Anonymous wrote on its blog. |
| Sony CEO has apologised for the situation and offered those affected potential compensation. | |
| Earlier this week, the company sent a letter to the US Congress accusing the group of being involved in the attack. | |
| But Anonymous says it has been framed by online thieves to throw law enforcement off track. | But Anonymous says it has been framed by online thieves to throw law enforcement off track. |
| In a recent letter to the members of the House Commerce Committee, involved in an inquiry into the breach, Sony blamed the internet vigilantes for indirectly allowing the hack to happen. | In a recent letter to the members of the House Commerce Committee, involved in an inquiry into the breach, Sony blamed the internet vigilantes for indirectly allowing the hack to happen. |
| "Sony has been the victim of a very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber attack," said the letter, signed by Sony America boss Kazuo Hirai. | "Sony has been the victim of a very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber attack," said the letter, signed by Sony America boss Kazuo Hirai. |
| Mr Hirai added that Sony found a file planted on its network labelled "Anonymous" and bearing the group's slogan, "We are legion". | Mr Hirai added that Sony found a file planted on its network labelled "Anonymous" and bearing the group's slogan, "We are legion". |
| But the group, which made headlines in December 2010 after it used software freely available over the internet to temporarily bring down the sites of MasterCard and Visa, states that its members are not credit card thieves. | But the group, which made headlines in December 2010 after it used software freely available over the internet to temporarily bring down the sites of MasterCard and Visa, states that its members are not credit card thieves. |
| "Whoever broke into Sony's servers to steal the credit card info and left a document blaming Anonymous clearly wanted Anonymous to be blamed for the most significant digital theft in history," the group's statement reads. | "Whoever broke into Sony's servers to steal the credit card info and left a document blaming Anonymous clearly wanted Anonymous to be blamed for the most significant digital theft in history," the group's statement reads. |
| According to Sony, the group targeted the company and facilitated the hacking in retaliation for the electronics giant bringing a hacker to court in San Francisco. | According to Sony, the group targeted the company and facilitated the hacking in retaliation for the electronics giant bringing a hacker to court in San Francisco. |
| Also, Sony says, the massive data theft coincided with the electronics giant fighting a denial-of-service attack (DDoS) from Anonymous. | Also, Sony says, the massive data theft coincided with the electronics giant fighting a denial-of-service attack (DDoS) from Anonymous. |
| Denial-of-service attacks take servers down by overwhelming them with traffic. | Denial-of-service attacks take servers down by overwhelming them with traffic. |
| But Anonymous denies all responsibility for allowing access to online gamers' data that possibly includes credit card information of millions of people. | But Anonymous denies all responsibility for allowing access to online gamers' data that possibly includes credit card information of millions of people. |
| "No one who is actually associated with our movement would do something that would prompt a massive law enforcement response," the statement reads. | "No one who is actually associated with our movement would do something that would prompt a massive law enforcement response," the statement reads. |
| "On the other hand, a group of standard online thieves would have every reason to frame Anonymous in order to put law enforcement off the track." | "On the other hand, a group of standard online thieves would have every reason to frame Anonymous in order to put law enforcement off the track." |
| Apologies and compensation | Apologies and compensation |
| Meanwhile, Sony's CEO Sir Howard Stringer has apologised for the first time to all those affected by the security breach. | Meanwhile, Sony's CEO Sir Howard Stringer has apologised for the first time to all those affected by the security breach. |
| In a blog post on the PlayStation website, he wrote the company was working on heightening security measures to "protect your information better than ever". | In a blog post on the PlayStation website, he wrote the company was working on heightening security measures to "protect your information better than ever". |
| He also offered compensation to US PlayStation Network and Qriocity users - a year-long free enrolment in an identity protection programme. | He also offered compensation to US PlayStation Network and Qriocity users - a year-long free enrolment in an identity protection programme. |
| The programme includes a $1m identity theft insurance policy for each user, should they become victims of any future cyber-attacks. | The programme includes a $1m identity theft insurance policy for each user, should they become victims of any future cyber-attacks. |
| In a bid to reassure Sony's costumers and regain their trust, Mr Stringer added that "to date, there is no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely." | In a bid to reassure Sony's costumers and regain their trust, Mr Stringer added that "to date, there is no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely." |
| Many PlayStation Network users have been upset about the company taking two days after discovering the theft before contacting law enforcement and almost a week to inform the people affected by the breach, after it was first discovered on 20 April. | Many PlayStation Network users have been upset about the company taking two days after discovering the theft before contacting law enforcement and almost a week to inform the people affected by the breach, after it was first discovered on 20 April. |
| Targeting Viacom | Targeting Viacom |
| After publishing its statement regarding Sony, Anonymous also issued a warning to entertainment giant Viacom. | After publishing its statement regarding Sony, Anonymous also issued a warning to entertainment giant Viacom. |
| The group said that because of Viacom, "thousands of people have undergone the unfortunate experience of receiving falsely-claimed copyright infringements". | The group said that because of Viacom, "thousands of people have undergone the unfortunate experience of receiving falsely-claimed copyright infringements". |
| Viacom is known for taking action for removing content from the web-video sharing site YouTube and later suing the site in a high-profile copyright infringement case. | Viacom is known for taking action for removing content from the web-video sharing site YouTube and later suing the site in a high-profile copyright infringement case. |
| "Anonymous demands from Viacom a public press release to admit and apologise for the fraud and crimes that they have committed," the group wrote. | "Anonymous demands from Viacom a public press release to admit and apologise for the fraud and crimes that they have committed," the group wrote. |
| "Anonymous also demands that Viacom allows everyone thoughout the internet full rights to be able to express themselves. | "Anonymous also demands that Viacom allows everyone thoughout the internet full rights to be able to express themselves. |
| "Lastly, we, the citizens of the world, demand that Viacom stops their attempts to gather personally identifying information such as IPs, which are of no relevance to them." | "Lastly, we, the citizens of the world, demand that Viacom stops their attempts to gather personally identifying information such as IPs, which are of no relevance to them." |