Gaming Networks Disrupted by Hacker Attack

Gaming enthusiasts and companies were left in the dark last week when Sony's PlayStation network and Microsoft's Xbox Live were hit by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Christmas Day. The assault, claimed by a hacking group called Lizard Squad, caused online gameplay disruptions for both networks, with Sony's PlayStation being particularly affected. The attack, which aimed to overwhelm servers with excessive traffic, was eventually mitigated, but not before significant disruption to gamers.

Key Takeaways:

• The Lizard Squad hacking group claimed responsibility for the attack, stating it was their biggest disruption yet.
• The attack targeted Sony's PlayStation network and Microsoft's Xbox Live, causing online gameplay disruptions for both networks.
• Sony's PlayStation network was severely affected, making it impossible for gamers to access their accounts.
• Microsoft's Xbox Live network also experienced online communication delays, but was quickly fixed.
• The Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility for previous cyberattacks, including ones on the PlayStation network in early December and August.
• The attack coincided with a bomb scare on a commercial jet, where Lizard Squad sent a message to American Airlines claiming explosives were aboard a flight carrying an executive with Sony Online Entertainment.
• Sony acknowledged in its blog post that both the PlayStation Network and other gaming services were attacked with artificially high levels of traffic designed to disrupt connectivity and online gameplay.
• The attack on the Sony and Microsoft gaming systems comes after a recent hacking of Sony Pictures' computer network, which law enforcement officials have linked to North Korea.

Statistics:

• 77 million PlayStation Network users were affected by data theft in 2011.
• The attack on the PlayStation gaming system and the earlier Sony Pictures infiltration are not directly connected, according to authorities.
• Lizard Squad has claimed responsibility for multiple cyberattacks, including the August 2014 attack that coincided with a bomb scare on a commercial jet.
• Attempted disruption of Sony PlayStation network affected thousands of online gamers on Christmas Day.
• Xbox Live network was down for an estimated 2 hours before Microsoft fixed the problem.

Sources:

• Reuters
• PlayStation blog post
• Microsoft spokesman's statement to the press