An alleged ransomware group has been claiming that they've successfully hacked Sony and as of press time, the company has decided to launch an investigation into the matter. The company will be looking at whether they have indeed been breached, the extent of the breach, or if it was a hoax.
Ransomed.vc Ransomware Group Claims They Breached Sony and Stole 'All of Sony Systems'
The news was first reported by Cyber Security Connect regarding how Ransomed.vc, a ransomware group that recently just started, claimed that it had been successful in breaching Sony Group. Ransomed.vc then threatened to sell the stolen data should they not receive payment.
According to the story by IGN, Ransomed.vc claimed to have been successful in compromising what they described as "all of Sony systems." They then clarified that they wouldn't "ransom" the data but instead sell them.
They highlighted that this was because Sony didn't want to pay and because of that, they announced that the "data is for sale." Despite the claims remaining unverified just yet, according to Cyber Security Connect, Ransomed.vc was still able to provide proof-of-hack data.
Proof-of-Hack Data was Posted with Less than 6,000 Files as Sony is Now Investigating the Matter
The proof-of-hack data included the internal log-in page as well as an internal PowerPoint presentation which reportedly outlined the test bench details. The listing also included some Java files as well.
As of press time, there was said to be a file tree that outlines the whole leak. As seen on the listing, it was revealed that the hackers posted less than 6,000 files. So far, this data was described as "small" compared to the claim being made that they had successfully hacked "all of Sony systems."
The main threat being made by Ransomed.vc was that they would be posting all of the data on September 28 should no buyer be interested in purchasing it. So far, when reached out by IGN, Sony reportedly highlighted that they were currently investigating the situation and that they don't have any further comment.
In 2011, the PlayStation Network was Hacked with 77 Million User Accounts Compromised
So far, IGN highlights how the news brought back memories of a previous hack on the PlayStation Network back in 2011. According to Reuters, the incident happened in April and the massive breach resulted in 77 million user accounts being compromised.
During that time, it was described as one of the largest internet security break-ins, as the theft included names, addresses, and potentially even credit card data from user accounts. Because of this hack, PSN had to remain offline for about a month, which greatly affected game launches as well as customer services.
At that time, Sony was able to learn about the news earlier but didn't tell the public for a few days. As per the PlayStation, they noted that children who had accounts that were built by their parents could also be exposed, saying they also didn't have any evidence of stolen credit card numbers.
