The hacker world 
has been a busy one lately.
The blend of high-profile cyber intrusions and denial of service attacks, mixed with vague anonymous threats delivered by mechanized voices and curiously timed offline periods for major corporations, have prompted some conspiracy theorists to wonder — Is there a hacker movement underway to undermine big business and/or the economy?
Everyone hates a copycat, but the cyber 
attack on Sony’s PlayStation Network has created more than a few. For hackers seeking notoriety or fame, there is no easier target these days than gaming companies.
The latest victim is Bethesda Software, makers of hit games like Fallout 3 and the Elder Scrolls titles. LulzSec, the group that has claimed responsibility for the Memorial Day weekend takeover of PBS Websites (posting false news stories that rapper Tupac Shakur was still alive and living in New Zealand), says it has breached the company’s servers and plans to release the data today.
Sony Pictures has confirmed that 
it was the victim of a large scale hacking operation this week and says it has called in law enforcement officials to help find the people responsible.
“The cybercrime wave that has affected Sony companies and a number of government agencies, businesses and individuals in recent months has hit Sony Pictures as well,” said Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and co-chairman Amy Pascal in a joint statement. “[Thursday] afternoon a group of criminal hackers known as ‘LulzSec’ claimed to have breached some of our websites. We have confirmed that a breach has occurred and have taken action to protect against further intrusion. We also retained a respected team of experts to conduct the forensic analysis of the attack, which is ongoing.”
We certainly have no problem getting caught up in the fun of playing 
games, but the people who create them have their pocketbooks to worry about, too. In this column, finance expert and GameSpy contributor Chris Morris guides you through the tricky corridors the gaming industry’s financial side, touching on big-time business decisions and how they matter to the common gamer.
Sony’s not in an enviable position these days. New data breaches are still coming to light after an unprecedented cyber-attack on the company’s online systems. Personal information for over 100 million user accounts is in the hands of possible identity thieves. And the company, after a seemingly endless series of public relations disasters, announced recently that it frankly didn’t know when the PlayStation Network would be fully operational once again — though it was hoping to achieve that by the end of May. Ultimately, this rollercoaster ride from hell has to come to an end. And believe it or not, that’s when the real hard work begins.
Certainly, rebuilding a complex network from the ground up and uncovering the carefully concealed tracks of a sophisticated hacker (or group of hackers) isn’t easy, but it’s goal-driven work that Sony has some semblance of control over. When it comes to repairing its reputation and restoring people’s faith in the company, Sony will encounter a flood of external factors — some fair, some unfair.
New accusations about Sony’s security 
procedures are being levied as the company braces for a third possible hack in the coming days.
Eugene Spafford, an information security professor at Purdue, accused Sony of being completely unprepared for the first two attacks during testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade earlier this week. The company, he said, was using outdated software on its servers, which allowed hackers to gain access.
While Sony says it is still unsure if the hacker who broke into its PlayStation
Network and Qriocity Music Service was able to access credit card information, consumer advocates are on high alert.
The potential that criminals could run up fraudulent charges is a logistical nightmare for consumers — even if they won’t be held responsible for those bills. But beyond the consumer impact of this data breach, which is one of the largest on record, corporate America is bracing for a potential impact.
With the shock wearing off after yesterday’s announcement 
about the scope and magnitude of the hacker attack on the PlayStation Network, Sony is now having to deal with the ugly public relations fallout.
Gardner analyst Avivah Litan says the incident is the largest theft of personal information to ever occur. That has spurred politicians in two countries to demand answers. And, as expected, the first of what will likely be several lawsuits has already been filed.
Chris Morris: Journalist 