7 ms·

I wonder how many times a company can install trojans on your computer, destroy your OS's security, secretly watch all your actions, then proceed to not properl

by cryptoz 16y ago

I wonder how many times a company can install trojans on your computer, destroy your OS's security, secretly watch all your actions, then proceed to not properly protect your data when you voluntarily give it to them...before going out of business. Sony's size and momentum must be pretty crazy. Or maybe it's our society. I just can't imagine a small record store in the 1960s, after being caught spying through the bedroom windows of its customers, ever staying in business. I feel terrible for anyone caught in this. But maybe, just maybe, Sony isn't the company to do business with anymore?

city41 16y ago
People want to play God of War, Little Big Planet and Gran Turismo. I think Sony could do just about anything and stay in business. As sad as that is, it's probably true.
- nathanb 16y ago
  I know, right? Reading through the comments on that post, the "you should have told us this last week" comments are just about balanced out by the "why are you wasting time with this instead of getting the PSN back online" comments.
  - dman 16y ago
    Different folks seem to value privacy very differently.
    - radicaldreamer 16y ago
      I'm willing to bet a lot of those commenting on that post have their parent's credit cards on file with Sony.
  - GrandMasterBirt 16y ago
    The problem is audience: Kids don't give a shit. Privacy is crap, they got their penis pictures on facebook. They want their fucking video games. People playing games all day don't give a shit. They want their fucking games, stfu privacy and get moar kof33 and fucking get this shit online. People with money to lose care. They care that their information is stolen because that could lead to their money being stolen. People who know the value of information care. Thats few people though, since facebook exists. In the end of the day people are willing to talk shit, when it comes to action that is a different story. How many people were so against EA's rootkits, but how many actually boycotted? Same with Apple? And now its same with Sony. Nobody will do anything. Nobody will boycott, the company will just shrug this off as an "opse".
    - ovi256 16y ago
      Oh noes, some people value different things than me how dare they. Let's be all elitist and imply "kids" don't know the value of information, whatever that may be. More like they know the information PSN had on them didn't matter (some nickname and email). And yeah, they want they games online, that's why they paid for a PS3 and multiplayer videogames after all. And Sony promised online multiplay. That's a badly made chain of arguments.
      - quanticle 16y ago
        Even if PSN didn't collect any financial information a breach of usernames and passwords is a big deal. As the Gawker hack has shown us, people tend to use the same usernames and passwords across many different websites. You can argue that this is the user's fault, but it doesn't matter. They'll still blame you when their bank account gets hacked. In this case, though, there are indications that financial data was disclosed. PSN (just like Steam and XBox Live) collects financial data to allow for online game purchases. Disclosure of that information is quite a serious matter. Yeah, the "kids" playing might not care about their PSN account, but the parents who enter credit card information to buy their kids games sure will. A poorly made argument does not automatically render the conclusion false.
    - touchstone 16y ago
      If you care enough about information then sony being compromised shouldn't be a threat to you. How come no one is talking about Anonymous' role in this? Unless you are a Sony exec you shouldn't be too concerned about anything but finding another device to watch netflix on.
- blocke 16y ago
  Why oh why did they buy Media Molecule. It sucks I have to chose between playing such awesome games and keeping my privacy and financial information safe. PS3 is the last Sony product I'll ever buy.
  - ja2ke 16y ago
    Mm was nearly fully Sony-funded pre buyout. Sony put a lot in to start that studio and also published LBP1, so it's not horribly surprising that they acquired them once it was revealed that Mm would be more than an indie fluke of a business.
Groxx 16y ago
Momentum and hydra-esque qualities. Sony manufactures parts for a lot of tech companies, who would suffer if Sony ceased to exist. So it's in their best interest to keep them alive, especially in the short-term as it would be crippling to have to change suppliers suddenly.
- perlgeek 16y ago
  Large companies like Sony don't just go out of business - they are bought out, maybe broken up in the progress. This "cease to exist" idea is really removed from reality.
jbellis 16y ago
Outstanding use of sarcasm to make fun of the "EBS outage means we should all go back to building our own datacenters" overreaction. /applauds
yid 16y ago
> I just can't imagine a small record store in the 1960s, after being caught spying through the bedroom windows of its customers, ever staying in business. Sony isn't a small record store.
mortenjorck 16y ago
Don't read this as a defense of the company, but there hasn't really been a single, monolithic Sony for decades. Sony Music Entertainment, perpetrators of 2005's rootkit debacle, is pretty far removed from Sony Computer Entertainment, the division responsible for Playstation. Sony Electronics, makers of TVs, home theater systems, and Walkmans, is another silo, as is Sony Pictures. Of course, every act of incompetence under the Sony name tarnishes that name, and in the marketplace, that's ultimately all that matters.
- wmf 16y ago
  There have been rumors that Sony Music/Pictures has "oh no, piracy!" veto power over the rest of Sony, though. Either that or every division of Sony happens to be really DRM-happy.
  - watchandwait 16y ago
    Sony Music's meddling is the reason Sony failed to make a successful Mp3 player, all the more remarkable because Sony created the individual portable music market and dominated it with the Walkman.
    - regularfry 16y ago
      Not only that, but they're responsible for the Minidisc's failure. That could have been a really nice format, but they had to slap a bunch of restrictions on it.
      - wipt 16y ago
        Not only the DRM restrictions, but that they limited manufacturing licenses to other companies. MinkDiscs are the perfect size and a little more durable (scratch resistent) imo. It's a shame CD's won out.
  - fabjan 16y ago
    I'm pretty sure Sony Computer Entertainment has some pressure from other game publishers to have DRM on the PlayStation Store.
Stormbringer 16y ago
I think it's been proven that you can do just about anything in the US and get away with it because the consumers/populace are too placid to do anything about it ... except a BJ from a jewish girl that will get you in serious trouble.
sbochins 16y ago
This is one of the reasons its a shame you need to buy a console to play exclusive titles. I was going to buy a ps3, but am hesitant now. A security breach like this is really unacceptable from anyone, under any circumstance. I'll need to be careful about disclosing any of my data if I do get a ps3.
nikcub 16y ago
I would expect Sony to be bought out and split up and sold off in the next few years. They have been in trouble for a while now. A number of PE firms have been looking at doing this deal with Apple mentioned as a potential purchaser of the fabs, chips and personal computing divisions
rmc 16y ago
Happens to lots of organisations. Look at the Catholic Church. They are pretty big, still popular and have had their share of 'incidents' (to put it very mildly) recently.

by cryptoz 16y ago

city41 16y ago

People want to play God of War, Little Big Planet and Gran Turismo. I think Sony could do just about anything and stay in business. As sad as that is, it's probably true.

nathanb 16y ago
I know, right? Reading through the comments on that post, the "you should have told us this last week" comments are just about balanced out by the "why are you wasting time with this instead of getting the PSN back online" comments.
- dman 16y ago
  Different folks seem to value privacy very differently.
  - radicaldreamer 16y ago
    I'm willing to bet a lot of those commenting on that post have their parent's credit cards on file with Sony.
- GrandMasterBirt 16y ago
  The problem is audience: Kids don't give a shit. Privacy is crap, they got their penis pictures on facebook. They want their fucking video games. People playing games all day don't give a shit. They want their fucking games, stfu privacy and get moar kof33 and fucking get this shit online. People with money to lose care. They care that their information is stolen because that could lead to their money being stolen. People who know the value of information care. Thats few people though, since facebook exists. In the end of the day people are willing to talk shit, when it comes to action that is a different story. How many people were so against EA's rootkits, but how many actually boycotted? Same with Apple? And now its same with Sony. Nobody will do anything. Nobody will boycott, the company will just shrug this off as an "opse".
  - ovi256 16y ago
    Oh noes, some people value different things than me how dare they. Let's be all elitist and imply "kids" don't know the value of information, whatever that may be. More like they know the information PSN had on them didn't matter (some nickname and email). And yeah, they want they games online, that's why they paid for a PS3 and multiplayer videogames after all. And Sony promised online multiplay. That's a badly made chain of arguments.
    - quanticle 16y ago
      Even if PSN didn't collect any financial information a breach of usernames and passwords is a big deal. As the Gawker hack has shown us, people tend to use the same usernames and passwords across many different websites. You can argue that this is the user's fault, but it doesn't matter. They'll still blame you when their bank account gets hacked. In this case, though, there are indications that financial data was disclosed. PSN (just like Steam and XBox Live) collects financial data to allow for online game purchases. Disclosure of that information is quite a serious matter. Yeah, the "kids" playing might not care about their PSN account, but the parents who enter credit card information to buy their kids games sure will. A poorly made argument does not automatically render the conclusion false.
  - touchstone 16y ago
    If you care enough about information then sony being compromised shouldn't be a threat to you. How come no one is talking about Anonymous' role in this? Unless you are a Sony exec you shouldn't be too concerned about anything but finding another device to watch netflix on.
blocke 16y ago
Why oh why did they buy Media Molecule. It sucks I have to chose between playing such awesome games and keeping my privacy and financial information safe. PS3 is the last Sony product I'll ever buy.
- ja2ke 16y ago
  Mm was nearly fully Sony-funded pre buyout. Sony put a lot in to start that studio and also published LBP1, so it's not horribly surprising that they acquired them once it was revealed that Mm would be more than an indie fluke of a business.

Groxx 16y ago

Momentum and hydra-esque qualities. Sony manufactures parts for a lot of tech companies, who would suffer if Sony ceased to exist. So it's in their best interest to keep them alive, especially in the short-term as it would be crippling to have to change suppliers suddenly.

perlgeek 16y ago
Large companies like Sony don't just go out of business - they are bought out, maybe broken up in the progress. This "cease to exist" idea is really removed from reality.

jbellis 16y ago

Outstanding use of sarcasm to make fun of the "EBS outage means we should all go back to building our own datacenters" overreaction. /applauds

yid 16y ago

> I just can't imagine a small record store in the 1960s, after being caught spying through the bedroom windows of its customers, ever staying in business. Sony isn't a small record store.

mortenjorck 16y ago

Don't read this as a defense of the company, but there hasn't really been a single, monolithic Sony for decades. Sony Music Entertainment, perpetrators of 2005's rootkit debacle, is pretty far removed from Sony Computer Entertainment, the division responsible for Playstation. Sony Electronics, makers of TVs, home theater systems, and Walkmans, is another silo, as is Sony Pictures. Of course, every act of incompetence under the Sony name tarnishes that name, and in the marketplace, that's ultimately all that matters.

wmf 16y ago
There have been rumors that Sony Music/Pictures has "oh no, piracy!" veto power over the rest of Sony, though. Either that or every division of Sony happens to be really DRM-happy.
- watchandwait 16y ago
  Sony Music's meddling is the reason Sony failed to make a successful Mp3 player, all the more remarkable because Sony created the individual portable music market and dominated it with the Walkman.
  - regularfry 16y ago
    Not only that, but they're responsible for the Minidisc's failure. That could have been a really nice format, but they had to slap a bunch of restrictions on it.
    - wipt 16y ago
      Not only the DRM restrictions, but that they limited manufacturing licenses to other companies. MinkDiscs are the perfect size and a little more durable (scratch resistent) imo. It's a shame CD's won out.
- fabjan 16y ago
  I'm pretty sure Sony Computer Entertainment has some pressure from other game publishers to have DRM on the PlayStation Store.

Stormbringer 16y ago

I think it's been proven that you can do just about anything in the US and get away with it because the consumers/populace are too placid to do anything about it ... except a BJ from a jewish girl that will get you in serious trouble.

sbochins 16y ago

This is one of the reasons its a shame you need to buy a console to play exclusive titles. I was going to buy a ps3, but am hesitant now. A security breach like this is really unacceptable from anyone, under any circumstance. I'll need to be careful about disclosing any of my data if I do get a ps3.

nikcub 16y ago

I would expect Sony to be bought out and split up and sold off in the next few years. They have been in trouble for a while now. A number of PE firms have been looking at doing this deal with Apple mentioned as a potential purchaser of the fabs, chips and personal computing divisions

rmc 16y ago

Happens to lots of organisations. Look at the Catholic Church. They are pretty big, still popular and have had their share of 'incidents' (to put it very mildly) recently.