Why Hackers Hate Sony

Information technology's not so much a happy time over at Sony these days thanks to the bull's-eye on its rear.

But why is Sony — a major player in the worlds of gaming, movies and music — suddenly in the crosshairs of hackers?

Sony's reputation for aggressively trying to protect its noetic property rights may provide some clues.

Purdue University security practiced Cistron Spafford, who testified in front Congress about Sony's certificate problems, said there are lot of examples. He cited Sony banning users who modded their PlayStations, the infamous case of installing "rootkits" on PCs of users atomic number 3 simulate control for CD, and lawsuits it has filed against the likes of George Hotz and Jammie Thomas.

Hotz, a hacker known for unlocking the iPhone, riled heavenward Sony when he started a blog to document his come along hacking the PlayStation 3, which was regarded as organism a locked and secure system. Thomas got caught upwards in a euphony piracy case, accused by the recording industry of sharing songs on the file-sharing situation Kazaa.

"The image that has emerged from altogether this is that Sony is a rapacious corporation with no mettle," Spafford said. "So, it is not startling that they might be a target for hackers."

Fast-forward and you have the catty attack connected the PlayStation Web that compromised millions of user accounts and identities. And once word got impermissible that Sony was not doing as moral a lin on the security side Eastern Samoa IT should comprise, the sharks could smell blood in the water.

Sony became snarled in nigh constant attacks happening all fronts, from phishing sites jetting on the servers of its Thai web site to the just about recent breaches by the merry hacksters renowned as LulzSec.

Here's a quick timeline of the attacks:

*June 2 — Lulzsec attacks Sonypictures.com, gains entree to user information.

*May 24 — Sony confirms hackers stole 2,000 records from Sony's Canadian site.

*May 23 — Sony BMG server in Hellenic Republic hacked, user chronicle info stolen.

*Crataegus laevigata 19-20 — $1200 worth of virtual tokens purloined from So-Clear, a Sony accessory; phishing site found on Thai Sony host.

*May 2 — Sony acknowledges over 12,000 credit card numbers were purloined during initial PSN attacks.

*April 17 — PlayStation Network hacked, hackers gain access to personal info of over 77 million users.

Computing device security expert and former hacker Gregory Evans said Sony would be well-served to hire ex-hackers instead of IT managers to help bonded its networks.

"Anyone can configure a firewall, just (it) does not mean you are a security expert," he said.