Three of the gaming world's premier online networks were targeted by hackers on Sunday in a series of denial-of-service attacks that began with the PlayStation Network before extending to Battle.net and Xbox Live. Reports from Sony, Blizzard Entertainment and Microsoft, the respective owners of the networks, indicate that no user data was stolen in the attacks. "Although [the attack] has impacted your ability to access our network and enjoy our services," read a post on the official PlayStation blog, "no personal information has been accessed."
A hacker group calling itself the Lizard Squad took credit for collapsing the servers with an abnormally high number of login requests. The attack crossed over from the cyberworld as well with a bomb threat on Twitter that forced the grounding of a plane carrying Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley. Both the virtual disruption and the bomb threat are reportedly already under investigation by the FBI.
This is the latest in a series of high-profile cyberattacks, including the theft of a record 1.2 billion username and password combinations by Russian hackers early this month. A more recent attack originating in China obtained records of 4.5 million American health care patients. While this assault on the gaming networks was geared more toward disrupting service than stealing information, it highlights the new risks that exist now that gaming companies are placing a greater emphasis on online communities, even for single-player gamers.
While the pros of greater connectivity undoubtedly outweigh the cons, new advances come with new threats, and it is vital that providers of online services be prepared with the latest means to combat hackers and would-be data thieves. As connectivity increases and the world moves closer to the Internet of Things, IT security consultants will find their services in greater demand to keep our information safe and secure.
