Sony has announced that it is conducting an investigation into a ransomware attack that reportedly occurred recently. The company has not provided many details about the investigation, but it is known that the group responsible for the attack is attempting to sell the stolen information. This news is concerning for Sony, as the company has a history of data breaches, including a major incident in 2011 when the PlayStation Network was hacked. In that case, millions of accounts were compromised, and the incident cost Sony millions of dollars.
Earlier this week, a ransomware group called Ransomed.vc claimed to have breached security at Sony and gained access to all of the company’s systems. The group stated that it would not demand a ransom for the data it collected but would instead sell it. Sony has confirmed that it is currently investigating the situation but has not provided further comment. It is unclear how much data the group has obtained or how much money they are asking for in exchange for the information. The group has set September 28 as a “post date,” which suggests that they plan to publish the information if it is not purchased by that date.
This is not the first time that Sony has experienced a data breach. In 2011, the company’s PlayStation Network was hacked, compromising 77 million accounts and resulting in significant financial losses. Sony was forced to take the PSN offline for weeks, and the incident cost the company approximately $171 million, as well as additional expenses from a class-action lawsuit filed by users. In response to that incident, Sony amended its terms of service. Considering Sony’s past experiences with data breaches, this latest attack is a concerning development for the company.