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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – Sony is warning that hackers stole password, birthday and another accumulation most users of its PlayStation Network that adjoining PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles to online games, films and more.

PlayStation Network and Qriocity streaming penalization assist were turned soured April 20 in the consequence of an "external intrusion," according to Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold.

While the cyber attack was ease existence investigated, Sony said it believed that PlayStation Network and Qriocity assist users' names, addresses, birthdates, passwords, and telecommunicate addresses were swiped.

"While there is no grounds at this time that assign card accumulation was taken, we cannot conception discover the possibility," Sony said in an telecommunicate communication existence dispatched discover to PlayStation Network and Qriocity users.

"It is also doable that your profile data, including acquire story and asking address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password section answers may hit been obtained."

Sony shut soured PlayStation Network and Qriocity to investigate the severance and reenforce defenses.

"We hit a clear line to hit PlayStation Network and Qriocity systems backwards online, and expect to modify some services within a week," Seybold said Tuesday.

Players were ease healthy to take conception in games offline on consoles, but forfeited the knowledge to challenge others on the Internet, course movies, or get another services.

PlayStation Network launched in November of 2006 and boasts most 75 million registered users worldwide.

Sony did not indicate whether it identified a offender in the intrusion.

Internet vigilante group Anonymous had vowed retaliation against Sony for taking jural state against hackers who unsmooth PS3 defenses to modify housing operative software.

Anonymous argued that PS3 housing owners hit the correct to do what they wish with them, including modifying them.

Wedbush Morgan videogame business shrink Michael Pachter suspected that Sony was hacked by a gamer more fascinated in display soured than cacophonous soured PlayStation Network users.

"My surmisal is the mortal who hacked the meshwork did it because they could," Pachter told AFP.

"Sony is a direct because gamers tend to be more software sophisticated," he continued. "If you are a actual cyber malefactor trying to profit, you go where the money is, not PlayStation Network where the cipher user is a teenager."

If Sony gets the Network backwards up pronto with hardened defenses, users are probable to forgive, according to the analyst. Sony was due also to atone with free downloadable content and services.

"If it never happens again, I conceive it is over in digit months and everybody forgets most it," Pachter said. "If it is an grievous man trying to steal, Sony is going to hit a nightmare. You meet don't know correct now."

Senator Richard Blumenthal from the state of Connecticut dispatched Sony Computer Entertainment USA honcho chief Jack Tretton a honor rebuke the consort for not arousal PlayStation Network users more quickly.

Blumenthal titled on Sony to wage PlayStation Network users with assign chase services to protect them from indistinguishability thieving and shelter to cover losses incurred if taken accumulation is misused.

"I feel intense for Sony," said Pachter, a PlayStation Network user. "I don't conceive they did anything wrong."

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