Sony has called in the FBI as well as European police forces to investigate the hack attack on their network which experts are now saying could be the biggest data breach in history.Sony has admitted that hackers stole the names, birth dates and credit-card numbers for 77 million people who play online videogames through Sony’s PlayStation network, in what could rank among the biggest data breaches in history. Authorities are concerned that the data could fall into the hands of criminals. There is also speculation that the data could be of value to a Sony competitor.
Sources at Sony in Europe have said that several police forces are now investigating the attack which has forced Sony to close their network for a week.
The PlayStation Network is used in Australia by Bravia TV and PS3 console owners to access movies and gaming content.
Sony said that an “illegal and unauthorised intrusion” between April 17 and April 19 resulted in the loss of a significant amount of personal information that could be used in identity theft. They warned users the intruders may have accessed billing addresses, purchase histories and account information for their children.
Sony are refusing to say whether they have been able to track which country the attack on their network took place in.
A spokeswoman for the San Francisco office of the FBI said that they will release information later in the week related to the Sony breach, but declined any further comment.
