Sony has recently announced that the PlayStation Network (PSN), down for almost a full month, is back online.
PSN, the primary interface for PlayStation users the world over, was hacked in April, resulting in the network being unavailable to its entire user base.
This has led to worldwide anger being directed at the Japanese technology company, not only for being unable to prevent the attack, but also because they were slow to notify their customers that their information may have been compromised.
In a video released on May 14, Sony Corporation Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai informed the public that most network functionality had been restored in North America. He also stated that members would receive a free month of service.
However, as a precautionary measure, all users, upon logging into the reestablished service, must change their passwords as well as download a new firmware update.
With this announcement, gamers are once again privy to the usual offerings of the PSN, including PlayStation home, Netflix, Hulu and the most important feature, online multiplayer for games.
New Content
In the twenty-two days that the service has been down, an enormous backlog of updates, new content and other additions to the PlayStation store have naturally been unavailable to the subscriber base.
Since going back online, Sony has announced that these updates will be rolled out as quickly as possible over the coming weeks, allowing players to take advantage of the services they have come to expect from the network.
Symptoms of a Bigger Problem
The outage of the network has also raised serious questions in the online community surrounding the security of information as well as the reliability of online services. These concerns not only apply to the PSN, but any other similar service by other providers.
The possibility always exists that the PSN could be hacked again. Additionally, other competitive services like Xbox Live may also be vulnerable, but have not yet been exploited.
Cyber security has jumped to the forefront of America’s growing global concerns in recent years. Recent cyber-attacks against the U.S. from hackers based in China and various other countries have prompted the government to increase the reliability of our systems as a method to protect national security.
In any event, with the PSN back up and running, Sony promises more new content and a more secure network than it had previously. PS3 users, while happy they can play online games and download new content, may still have to worry about possible future disruptions.
Sources:
- Webster, Andrew "Sony to catch up on backlog with multiple PSN store updates" arstechnica.com
- Par, Ben "Sony PlayStation Network Coming Back Online" mashable.com
- Good, Owen "PlayStation Network Back Online in North America" gizmodo.com
Matthew Jackelen - I currently live in Minneapolis and have been writing in the Finance industry for the last four years.
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