2011 PlayStation Network outage
Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:36:01 AM Wikipedia source
The 2011 PlayStation Network outage (sometimes referred to as the 2011 PSN Hack) was the result of an "external intrusion" on Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, in which personal details from approximately 77 million accounts were compromised and prevented users of PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles from accessing the service. The attack occurred between April 17 and April 19, 2011, forcing Sony to deactivate the PlayStation Network servers on April 20. The outage lasted 24 days. Government officials in various countries voiced concern over the theft and Sony's one-week delay before warning its users. The breach resulted in the exposure and vulnerability of personally identifiable information, including usernames, physical addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, passwords, and financial details such as credit card and debit card information.
Infobox
Tables
| Game | North America | Europe (non-Germany) | Germany | Asia | Japan |
| Wipeout HD/Fury | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LittleBigPlanet | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| InFamous | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Dead Nation | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Super Stardust HD | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Hustle Kings | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| The Last Guy | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Trash Panic | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| LocoRoco Cocoreccho! | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Echochrome | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Game | North America | Europe (non-Germany) | Germany | Asia | Japan |
| LittleBigPlanet | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ModNation Racers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pursuit Force | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Killzone: Liberation‡ | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Everybody's Golf Portable 2 | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Everybody's Stress Buster | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| LocoRoco Midnight Carnival | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Patapon 2 | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord? | No | No | No | No | Yes |
References
- PlayStation Network / PSN Newshttps://web.archive.org/web/20160303222252/http://uk.playstation.com/psn/news/articles/detail/item369506/PSN-Qriocity-Service-Update/
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13192359
- "Millions of internet users hit by massive Sony PlayStation data theft"https://web.archive.org/web/20110428161228/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8475728/Millions-of-internet-users-hit-by-massive-Sony-PlayStation-data-theft.html
- Australian IThttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/exec-tech/playstation-users-in-australia-urged-to-check-credit-card-activity/story-e6frgazf-1226045582897
- "Welcome Back PSN: The Winners"https://kotaku.com/5804318/
- 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS)https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/istas52410.2021.9629173
- "Q&A #1 for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Services – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/27/qa-1-for-playstation-network-and-qriocity-services/
- "PlayStation Network hack: why it took Sony seven days to tell the world | Technology | guardian.co.uk"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/apr/27/playstation-network-hack-sony
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- "BBC News - Sony's PlayStation hack apology"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13206004
- "Furore at Sony after Playstation user data stolen"https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-sony-stolendata-idUKTRE73Q0F720110427
- "PlayStation Network and Qriocity Outage FAQ – PlayStation.Blog.Europe"http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/04/28/playstation-network-and-qriocity-outage-faq/
- "PlayStation data breach deemed in 'top 5 ever' - Business - CBC News"https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/playstation-data-breach-deemed-in-top-5-ever-1.1059548
- "Video: Sony PlayStation - Hacker Breaks Into Network And Steals Details Of Millions Of Gamers | Technology | Sky News"http://news.sky.com/home/technology/article/15979992
- "PlayStation hack: top five data thefts"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/8476757/PlayStation-hack-top-five-data-thefts.html
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/aug/29/lulzsec-hacker-arrest-sony-attack
- "Update on PSN Service Outages"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/20/update-on-psn-service-outages-2/
- "Timeline of Sony's PlayStation Network outage"https://web.archive.org/web/20110518134456/http://hken.ibtimes.com/articles/145875/20110515/timeline-of-sony-s-playstation-network-outage.htm
- "Latest Update on PSN Outage"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/21/latest-update-on-psn-outage/
- "PlayStation Knowledge Center | Support - PlayStation.com"http://us.playstation.com/support/answer/index.htm?a_id=2356
- PSNationhttps://web.archive.org/web/20110427112834/http://www.psnation.org/2011/04/25/netflix-still-works-on-your-ps3-despite-the-outage/
- "PlayStation Network Outage Bad News for Netflix and Hulu: Online Video News"https://web.archive.org/web/20110429231541/http://gigaom.com/video/playstation-network-outage-bad-news-for-netflix-hulu/
- "Update On PlayStation Network/Qriocity Services"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/22/update-on-playstation-network-qriocity-services/
- "Latest Update for PSN/Qriocity Services – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/23/latest-update-for-psnqriocity-services/
- "PSN Update – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/25/psn-update/
- "Update on PlayStation Network and Qriocity – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/26/update-on-playstation-network-and-qriocity/
- "Clarifying a Few PSN Points – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/26/clarifying-a-few-psn-points/
- "Some PlayStation Network And Qriocity Services To Be Available This Week – PlayStation.Blog.Europe"http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/05/01/some-playstation-network-and-qriocity-services-to-be-available-this-week/
- PlayStation 3http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-01-psn-sony-outlines-welcome-back-gifts
- "Service Under Maintenance"https://archive.today/20130202171207/http://www.soe.com/securityupdate/pressrelease.vm
- "Sony Confirms Thousands Of Credit Cards Stolen During Hack - GameInformer News"https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/05/02/thousands-of-credit-cards-stolen-during-second-sony-hack.aspx
- "Sony's Response to the U.S. House of Representatives – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/04/sonys-response-to-the-u-s-house-of-representatives/
- "Sony Offering Free 'AllClear ID Plus' Identity Theft Protection in the United States through Debix, Inc. – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/05/sony-offering-free-allclear-id-plus-identity-theft-protection-in-the-united-states-through-debix-inc/
- "A Letter from Howard Stringer – PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/05/a-letter-from-howard-stringer/
- "Sony: PlayStation Network Resumes This Week"http://www.pcworld.com/article/226795/sony_playstation_network_resumes_this_week.html
- "PSN 'welcome back program' includes a free download, 30 days free PlayStation Plus, Qriocity"https://web.archive.org/web/20120715184052/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/01/psn-outage-plus-qriocity-free/
- Newshttp://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-05-03-24-6-million-soe-accounts-potentially-compromised
- "Another team added to Sony's PSN investigation"http://www.vg247.com/2011/05/04/another-team-added-to-sonys-psn-investigation/
- "Sony blames Anonymous for stage-setting theft"https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-idUSTRE73R0Q320110504
- "Hackers deny involvement in PlayStation Network outage"https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/22/as-playstation-network-outage-continues-hackers-deny-involvement/
- "Important Step for Service Restoration – PlayStation.Blog.Europe"http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/05/06/important-step-for-service-restoration/
- "PSN reactivation delayed for 'further testing,' likely not coming back this week"https://web.archive.org/web/20110508234950/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/06/psn-reactivation-delayed-for-further-testing-not-coming-back/
- twitter.comhttps://twitter.com/SonyOnline/status/66671981101199360
- "Sony CEO apologises for data theft; shares fall 2 pct"https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-sony-idUKLNE74505420110506?type=companyNews
- "Sony removes data posted by hackers, delays PlayStation restart"https://www.reuters.com/article/sony-idUSL3E7G701T20110507
- "Sony Global - News Releases - RESTORATION OF PLAYSTATIONNETWORK AND QRIOCITY SERVICES BEGINS"http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201105/11-0515E/index.html
- "PS3 System Software Update - PlayStation Blog"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/14/ps3-system-software-update/
- "Japan Restart of Sony Online Games Services Not Yet Approved"https://web.archive.org/web/20110603074055/http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2011/05/15/japan-restart-sony-online-games-services-approved/
- "Sony's PSN password page exploit"http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-18-sonys-psn-password-page-hacked
- "Report: Sony PlayStation Network Password Reset Page Exploited, Customer Accounts Potentially Compromised"https://kotaku.com/5803050/
- PC Magazinehttps://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2385790,00.asp
- "Millions of internet users hit by massive Sony PlayStation data theft"https://web.archive.org/web/20110428161228/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8475728/Millions-of-internet-users-hit-by-massive-Sony-PlayStation-data-theft.html
- "Sony Breach 'Difficult to Excuse' Say Security Experts"https://web.archive.org/web/20110505223935/http://www.industrygamers.com/news/sony-breach-difficult-to-excuse-say-security-experts/
- "Sony data breach update reveals 'bad practices'"https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/sony-data-breach-update-reveals-bad-practices-1.986647
- "Sony attack: Sony expands scope of its massive data security breach"http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/2240035422/Sony-attack-Sony-expands-scope-of-its-massive-data-security-breach
- "Sony Reports 24.5 Million More Accounts Hacked"https://web.archive.org/web/20110505213521/http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/229402656
- "Blumenthal Demands Answers from Sony over Playstation Data Breach"https://web.archive.org/web/20110505041135/http://blumenthal.senate.gov/press/release/index.cfm?id=82698973-255D-4B92-9E18-39E5937C9361
- "Blumenthal Calls for DOJ Investigation of Sony Playstation Data Breach"http://blumenthal.senate.gov/press/release/index.cfm?id=7BEBFD12-FFDD-40C2-BA5F-C50C7C9D9E09
- "US lawmakers press Sony for info on data breach"https://web.archive.org/web/20110930032036/http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/national/us-lawmakers-press-sony-for-info-on-data-breach
- "Privacy Commissioner's office looking into Sony PlayStation hack"http://www.canada.com/life/Privacy+Commissioner+office+investigate+Sony+PlayStation+hack/4684627/story.html#ixzz1KlAZpsAq
- The Registerhttps://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/24/sony_psn_breach_fine/
- "Sony sued for PlayStation Network data breach | Circuit Breaker - CNET News"https://web.archive.org/web/20110504223339/http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20057921-260.html
- "Johns v. Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC et al"http://dockets.justia.com/docket/california/candce/3:2011cv02063/240051/
- "Sony Sued Over PlayStation Network Hack"https://web.archive.org/web/20110429231505/http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/attacks/229402362
- "Canadian Law Firm Files $1 Billion Lawsuit Against Sony Over PSN Data Breach"https://web.archive.org/web/20110505181455/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/34499/Canadian_Law_Firm_Files_1_Billion_Class_Action_Lawsuit_Against_Sony_Over_PSN_Data_Breach.php
- "Sony PlayStation Network Down: PSN Hit with $1.04B Class Action Suit"https://web.archive.org/web/20110507064324/http://business.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474979289837
- "Sony PSN hacking lawsuit dismissed by judge"https://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57538716-93/sony-psn-hacking-lawsuit-dismissed-by-judge/
- TheFeedhttps://web.archive.org/web/20121017092748/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/712202/hulu-offering-free-credit-for-ps3-subscribers/
- "Details for PlayStation Network and Qriocity Customer Appreciation Program in North America"http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/05/16/details-for-playstation-network-and-qriocity-customer-appreciation-program-in-north-america/
- "Details Of The Welcome Back Programme For SCEE Users"http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2011/05/16/details-of-the-welcome-back-programme-for-scee-users-2/
- "PlayStationNetwork・Qriocity(キュリオシティ)の一部サービス 日本およびアジアの国・地域でも再開"http://cdn.jp.playstation.com/msg/nr_20110527_psn_qriocity.html
- "Welcome Back Package for Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia"https://web.archive.org/web/20160306015136/https://asia.playstation.com/id/en/news/latestNewsDetail/227416
- "PlayStation users reporting credit card fraud"http://www.pcworld.com/article/226775/playstation_network_users_reporting_credit_card_fraud.html
- ABC Newshttp://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-04-28/hackers-run-up-debt-for-playstation-user/2695706
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2011/apr/29/playstation-network-hackers-credit-cards
- blog.us.playstation.comhttp://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/27/qa-1-for-playstation-network-and-qriocity-services/
- PlayStation.Bloghttps://blog.playstation.com/2010/03/28/ps3-firmware-v3-21-update/
- PSN Hack Attack Summaryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVU6v53ow8k
- Engadgethttps://www.engadget.com/2011-01-08-geohot-releases-ps3-jailbreak-for-firmware-3-55-world-ceases-to.html
- Engadgethttps://www.engadget.com/2011-01-12-sony-follows-up-officially-sues-geohot-and-fail0verflow-over-ps.html
- NBC Newshttp://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sony-hacker-geohot-call-truce-bitter-legal-battle-flna124038