EventHorizon1984 Log

Sony Online Entertainment Hacked

Sony Online Entertainment Hacked
3 May 2011
EventHorizon1984

Nothing like having a hacking problem surface.  A week late.  As noted in the Guardian article "PlayStation Network hack: why it took Sony seven days to tell the world."

Between then and now, Sony had this to say:

SECURITY UPDATE

As previously announced, we have been conducting an ongoing, thorough investigation stemming from the cyber attack in April and promised to notify you should there be any changes to the situation. 

A press release was issued today outlining these details. We will promptly send a customer service notification via email to all of our impacted account holders whose customer data may have been stolen as a result of an illegal intrusion on our systems. This information was discovered less than 24 hours ago and in response, we took down our services until we could verify their security.

SOE is committed to delivering secure, stable and entertaining games for players of all ages and we're working around the clock to ensure this situation is resolved as quickly as possible. We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your continued patience and feedback.

Sincerely,
Sony Online Entertainment

Of course now, about a week later Monday (5/2/2011), Sony decided to rectify the situation:

Sony Says 25 Million More Accounts Hacked

"The data breach comes on top of the 77 million PlayStation accounts"

"Sony said that it shut service Monday morning to Sony Online Entertainment games, which are available on personal computers, Facebook and the Playstation 3 console.  Its most popular games include "EverQuest," "Free Realms" and "DC Universe Online."

Of course now, about a week later Tuesday (5/3/2011), Sony decided clarifiy the situation with this email:

Important Customer Notification

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 12:25 AM

From: "Sony Online Entertainment" <Sony_Online_Entertainment@soe.innovyx.net>

Customer Service Notification May 2, 2011 Dear Valued Sony Online Entertainment Customer: Our ongoing investigation of illegal intrusions into Sony Online Entertainment systems has discovered that hackers may have obtained personal customer information from SOE systems. We are today advising you that the personal information you provided us in connection with your SOE account may have been stolen in a cyber-attack. Stolen information includes, to the extent you provided it to us, the following: name, address (city, state, zip, country), email address, gender, birthdate, phone number, login name and hashed password. Customers outside the United States should be advised that we further discovered evidence that information from an outdated database from 2007 containing approximately 12,700 non-US customer credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes) and about 10,700 direct debit records listing bank account numbers of certain customers in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Spain may have also been obtained and we will be notifying each of those customers promptly. There is no evidence that our main credit card database was compromised. It is in a completely separate and secured environment. We had previously believed that SOE customer data had not been obtained in the cyber-attacks on the company, but on May 1st we concluded that SOE account information may have been stolen and we are notifying you as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the attack and as a result, we have: 1. Temporarily turned off all SOE game services; 2. Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and 3. Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure to provide you with greater protection of your personal information. We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable. For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When SOE™'s services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your Station or SOE game account name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well. To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it: U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228. We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below. Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at (877) 382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us. We are committed to helping our customers protect their personal data and we will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in regions in which such programs are commonly utilized. We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at (866) 436-6698 should you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Sony Online Entertainment LLC

THIS IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTIFICATION. SOE Privacy Policy | SOE Terms of Service www.soe.com

Sony Online Entertainment LLC 8928 Terman Court - San Diego, CA 92121

 

Somehow those affected, 100 million or so, may not be getting that warm and fuzzy feeling about the situation.

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"I've got a bad feeling about him."
Dr. Frank Poole, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

"I have a very bad feeling about this."
Luke Skywalker, Star Wars (1977)

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Why You Should Never Turn Your Back To The Ocean

Why You Should Never Turn Your Back To The Ocean
29 March 2010
EventHorizon1984

There was more than a bit of irritation felt when the statue of Duke Kahanamoku was first placed in Waikiki; with his back to the ocean.  Years later passing by the Duke, it remains irritating.  In leu of someone or something turning the statue to properly face the ocean, we'll mitigate the irritation by writing something.

There are many sound reasons for the advice, "never turn your back to the ocean."  But words fail to crisply capture what is best explained by film.

• A photo series by A Pacific View captures a 'what could have happened'.
• A video by blakech demonstrating man versus Pacific Ocean.
• Sports Illustrated Jodi LaBossiere v. Ocean.

You're not much safer with your back to a fantasy ocean in a gaming environment either.

As the EverQuest 2 photo below might be captioned, "Why is everyone running?"

Ribet ...

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"It's not until you get back to nature that you realize that everything is out to get you. So my father always told me to respect nature, because it has no respect for you."
Dana Scully, X-Files, Quagmire

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MMORPH.com - Everquest II - Patching Error...trying to play for the first time

We had spent a considerable amount of time getting EverQuest II and Star Wars Galaxies running on Windows Vista systems. What it took to get these programs running was an equal amount of time searching the Internet for a solution.

This solution is excerpted from from the MMORPH.com web site. If you find this information of value, visit them.

//

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?gameid=2&setview=forums&post=1523818&bhcp=1#%231523818

MMORPH.com

Vicryn
7/17/07 7:48:35 PM

Ok, so I get home, install the game...everything looks great. I load it up, and it begins patching. When it gets to the end of patching I see

"Download Canceled"

I thought I hit something by mistake so I did this 3 more times with each time receiving the same error.

I thought I would amuse myself by contacting customer support...I got a good laugh...

Anyone ever heard of this? I'm trying to play this game but it just won't patch...I bought the Everquest 2 version that includes up to Faydwer.

Vicryn
7/18/07 11:19:24 PM

Actually, I think I may have found the answer. Before, I would get about 2 minutes into the upload and then it would cancel. Now, it says I have to wait about an hour for the download to take place so I think it is working. The first part of the instructions below have been mentioned before in this thread, but the second part is the information that even their technical support crew forgot to mention (instead telling me to call comcast). Hope this helps to anyone who had this issue before...

Question

Why do I keep getting a download cancelled error in Windows Vista?
Answer

There are several security settings that come installed with Windows Vista that we will need to modify to allow your game to run without interference. Please make sure you do all of the following steps.

Section One: Running as Administrator

1. Right click on the game's icon and go to properties
2. Go to the compatibility tab
3. Click on "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select XP Service Pack 2
4. Check "Run this program as administrator"

Section Two: Working Around the User Access Control (UAC)

1. Make sure you are logged in on an Administrator account.
2. Navigate to the game's folder (Usually c:\program files\sony\ will contain the game's folder)
3. Right click on the game's folder and go to properties
4. Click on the Security Tab
5. Click on the Edit button.
6. Go through each username or group listed and make sure all "Allow" boxes are checked
7. Ensure that no "Deny" boxes are checked and click OK.

After these steps, if you are still getting a Download Cancelled error in your game's Launchpad on Windows Vista, please refer to the article Contacting Tech Support for further assistance.

Vicryn
7/20/07 8:44:43 PM

Hey guys,

Still having issues with EQ2 and Vista.

I installed everquest 2 and went through about an hour of downloading. When it completes I see the message "Update Complete" but the play button does not show. Instead it is a grayed out box that says "Updating" or something. There is text below it that says "Download" but when I click on it it just does a 2 second download and says "Update Complete" again. I have contacted the Tech Support for SOE and they were no help. I tried running the everquest file from the everquest 2 folder and i get a message that says "xul.dll was not found, reinstalling the application may fix the problem." I have reinstalled this game 2 times now. What the heck is going on? Please, someone help me. Lol. I am getting desperate. I just want to play :)

Thanks.

AbasiMalone
7/21/07 12:55:54 PM

I have had to do this with SWG and EQ2. Something about SOE and vista. I had to do a different tweak with each one. But I ended up doing some google and yahoo searches for "Star wars galaxies on vista" or "Everquest 2 on vista" you should come upon a thread that tells you the exact settings. With EQ2 there was something different I had to do. It's strange though, because GW CoH and EVE have given me no problems. That being said, once I got past this, SWG and EQ2 are running just fine. The official channels are no help, you have to find a discussion thread.

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Additional Keywords: launchpad.exe launchpad patcher

http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/star-wars-galax.html
     WarCry's Star Wars Galaxies - Windows Vista Launchpad Fix
http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/everquest-ii-vi.html
     MMORPH.com - Everquest II - Patching Error...trying to play for the first time
http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/everquest-ii--1.html
     EverQuest 2 Vault - Launcher patching with Vista problem

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EverQuest 2 Vault - Launcher patching with Vista problem

We had spent a considerable amount of time getting EverQuest II and Star Wars Galaxies running on Windows Vista systems. What it took to get these programs running was an equal amount of time searching the Internet for a solution.

This solution is excerpted from the IGN and MMORPH.com web sites.  If you find this information of value, visit them.

//

http://vnboards.ign.com/eq2_general_board/b22210/103769630/p1/

EverQuest 2 Vault

urnobick
7/28 5:32am

Morning All,
I've just loaded a clean install of Vista. EQ2(classic) was loaded without a hitch. However after launching the program for the first time I've run into a download issue. The Launcher updates itself fine but when the game starts to download the first file(s) after scanning it auto-cancels the download and sits there. I can push the "start download" but it will continue to do the same thing. I've turned off the Windows Firewall and set security to way low to test but still the same. The video drivers was updated, not that this makes a difference. EQ2 runs fine on my three other machines inside my home network so it seems to be a "feature" in Vista.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Hawk...

loki_d20
7/18 5:58am

For some people, forcing your EQ2 files (LP_plugin.exe, EQ2.exe, EverQuest2.exe) to run as administrator worked. For me, I had to disable the whole user accounts system in Vista.

Check here for more help. 

And, once you get in game, beware of running the system at the higher level of graphic settings in city areas. See here for more info on this.

Fuury
7/18 6:11am

Make sure you have Launchpad.exe in your Windows Firewall exceptions. I had the same issue, changed that and it worked fine.

Other than that I have had no issues (knock on wood) running Vista Home Premium.

Gninja_JoKeR
7/18 8:13am

Yeah there seems to be some issues with the way vista runs programs. Even if you are logged in as an "admin" user you still have to run most games as admin using the "Run As" option when you right click.

Zassk
7/18 9:25am

I assume you migrated to Vista? If you reinstall EQ2 (any edition) into the same directory where EQ2 already exists, then you will find that the patcher starts fine after that. Or at least, this is what worked for me.

loki_d20
7/18 10:50am

The problems are different for many people. I had to try about ten different things that worked for other people before I got mine to work. In the end, start with the simpler to do solutions and work your way to the more severe actions. Others I have talked to look at me as if I'm an idiot with a computer when I've explained what I've had to do in order to get EQ2 to work on my Vista machine when all they had it work flawlessly from the start. Just hope you're one of the few that doesn't have to do much to get it to work.

urnobick
7/18 11:47am

Thanks for all the suggestions. Apparently it was an admin rights issue. Switched those exe(s) to "run as administrator" and it worked perfectly. Kinda thought it might be something like that the way it was acting. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Thanks,
Hawk...

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http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?gameid=2&setview=forums&post=1523818&bhcp=1#%231523818

MMORPH.com

Vicryn
7/17/07 7:48:35 PM

Ok, so I get home, install the game...everything looks great. I load it up, and it begins patching. When it gets to the end of patching I see

"Download Canceled"

I thought I hit something by mistake so I did this 3 more times with each time receiving the same error.

I thought I would amuse myself by contacting customer support...I got a good laugh...

Anyone ever heard of this? I'm trying to play this game but it just won't patch...I bought the Everquest 2 version that includes up to Faydwer.

Vicryn
7/18/07 11:19:24 PM

Actually, I think I may have found the answer. Before, I would get about 2 minutes into the upload and then it would cancel. Now, it says I have to wait about an hour for the download to take place so I think it is working. The first part of the instructions below have been mentioned before in this thread, but the second part is the information that even their technical support crew forgot to mention (instead telling me to call comcast). Hope this helps to anyone who had this issue before...

Question

Why do I keep getting a download cancelled error in Windows Vista?
Answer

There are several security settings that come installed with Windows Vista that we will need to modify to allow your game to run without interference. Please make sure you do all of the following steps.

Section One: Running as Administrator

1. Right click on the game's icon and go to properties
2. Go to the compatibility tab
3. Click on "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select XP Service Pack 2
4. Check "Run this program as administrator"

Section Two: Working Around the User Access Control (UAC)

1. Make sure you are logged in on an Administrator account.
2. Navigate to the game's folder (Usually c:\program files\sony\ will contain the game's folder)
3. Right click on the game's folder and go to properties
4. Click on the Security Tab
5. Click on the Edit button.
6. Go through each username or group listed and make sure all "Allow" boxes are checked
7. Ensure that no "Deny" boxes are checked and click OK.

After these steps, if you are still getting a Download Cancelled error in your game's Launchpad on Windows Vista, please refer to the article Contacting Tech Support for further assistance.

Vicryn
7/20/07 8:44:43 PM

Hey guys,

Still having issues with EQ2 and Vista.

I installed everquest 2 and went through about an hour of downloading. When it completes I see the message "Update Complete" but the play button does not show. Instead it is a grayed out box that says "Updating" or something. There is text below it that says "Download" but when I click on it it just does a 2 second download and says "Update Complete" again. I have contacted the Tech Support for SOE and they were no help. I tried running the everquest file from the everquest 2 folder and i get a message that says "xul.dll was not found, reinstalling the application may fix the problem." I have reinstalled this game 2 times now. What the heck is going on? Please, someone help me. Lol. I am getting desperate. I just want to play :)

Thanks.

AbasiMalone
7/21/07 12:55:54 PM

I have had to do this with SWG and EQ2. Something about SOE and vista. I had to do a different tweak with each one. But I ended up doing some google and yahoo searches for "Star wars galaxies on vista" or "Everquest 2 on vista" you should come upon a thread that tells you the exact settings. With EQ2 there was something different I had to do. It's strange though, because GW CoH and EVE have given me no problems. That being said, once I got past this, SWG and EQ2 are running just fine. The official channels are no help, you have to find a discussion thread.

// 
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//

Additional Keywords: launchpad.exe launchpad patcher

http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/star-wars-galax.html
     WarCry's Star Wars Galaxies - Windows Vista Launchpad Fix
http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/everquest-ii-vi.html
     MMORPH.com - Everquest II - Patching Error...trying to play for the first time
http://EventHorizon1984.typepad.com/Event_Horizon_1984_blog/2007/07/everquest-ii--1.html
     EverQuest 2 Vault - Launcher patching with Vista problem

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