Phased restoration of PlayStation Network begins

Following PlayStation 3 firmware update version 3.61, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that it will today begin the phased restoration of PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. According to the firm, the restoration will “be on a country by country basis beginning in the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Middle East.”

The first phase of restored services for the aforementioned 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

“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. We are taking aggressive action at all levels to address the concerns that were raised by this incident, and are making consumer data protection a full-time, company wide commitment.”

The cyber attack saw the confiscation of the name, address, password, e-mail, and other details listed on the profiles of PlayStation Network account holders. No evidence ever surfaced proving credit card information was stolen, as well, but the possibility still remains. As a result of the infiltration, Sony shut down PlayStation Network and Qriocity services in order to safely increase security.

“During the past 18 months, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the volume of cyber attacks, their sophistication and their impact on businesses. Thwarting cyber-crime requires an evolutionary approach to security that is well integrated, reduces risk exposure and improves efficiencies,” said Francis deSouza, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Security Group, Symantec. “Today’s cyber crime attacks are proving to be more covert, more targeted and better organized than those we’ve seen in years past. In working with Sony on the move of their data-center, it’s clear they’re implementing measures to reduce security risks moving forward.”

Keep an eye out. If you notice PlayStation Network goes live where you live, be sure to leave a comment.