Victimized by the PSN/SOE network breach or stupidty?

[mindspat]

Change your passwords!

It's a fact that people use the same names and passwords. Change your passwords.

Here's a way to come up with unique passwords. Think of it like this, try using something like a phrase "I love to win!" (don't use that!) but instead type it out like "iL0v3t0wiN!" This gives you 11 characters including lower and upper case alpha, numeric and special characters. A vowel can be replaced with a numerical figure and it's easily remembered when reciting them. Ex, a A = 4, e E = 3, i I = 1 or !.

While checking emails yesterday I noticed two notifications of points being purchased through Xbox Live. The purchases were for 4000 and 6000 points totaling about 145.00 USD. Being I haven't used my Xbox for at least 5 days, and it's been longer since being pluged into the net, I immediately assumed it was a phising scam. The problem was my bank also showed the transactions.

After going through 6-7 different customer representatives I finally reached the proper department; 800-4MY-XBOX. Apparently there was a known attempt to access Xbox Live accounts using account names and passwords believed to have been acquired through the hack upon Sony's gaming networks. Thankfully the transactions were immediately flaged as fraudulent and rescinded. Opting in for the 2 week fraud investigation means I'll have no access to Xbox Live, or access to my gamer tag during the duration, but it seemed like the least I could do to prevent further headache.

There's a lesson to be learned in this. It wasn't just Sony's servers that got hacked, stupidity got hacked as well. Actually, it's probably better to say that stupidity got WTFPWNDBBQ!!1!shift+1

Here I am as a victim of my own stupidity for using the same account name and password for multiple services. I'll change my passwords to something more unique, replace my current credit card tied to the Xbox Live account, and hope for the best.

In Sony's defense, they did send me an email warning that my information "may have" been involved in the breach. I hear they're even offering fraud protection. Heck, PSN users are supposedly going to get two free games!

That being said, I ask this:

What would other's do in a situation like this: scream "Sue!", boycott Sony products, seek out a class action lawsuit, or simply take it in the gut and continue using Sony's services?

[Pure Mongrel]

Thank you for sharing this!

I was actually curisng that fact that I had different ID info on my PSN and XBL accounts the other day. Becasue I used different e-mail addresses for each account, and typed the wrong one in for my EA account, I ended up with the premium content for Dragon Age II on my PS3 when I have the game for XBOX.

This error seems to be a belessing in disguise judging by your experience (and the fact that I have not given XBL my new credit card number; canceling the old one after discovering the PSN hack.)

Lessons learned indeed!.

I am glad your situation got fixed, even though it created a pain in your gaming butt!

[Xavien]

Thats annoying Pure Mongrel, i hope they sorted it out for you, ive found EA to be very good. I bought a DLC for mass effect 2 twice and they credited back my points, i felt like a right twit hehe

[FunkyJ]

Another good tactic for passwords:

1) adding site names:
So, if your password is "Password" you make it "PasswordFacebook" and "PasswordTOG" etc. It's better if you use abbreviations too, so FB instead of Facebook.

2) Make it not a word, but a phrase. "Ilikegoodpasswords"

3) move your finger right
So, if your password is "Password" you make it "{sddeptf" by moving your finger right of each key.

4) Add Capital Letters and Symbols
So, if your password is "Password" you make it "Password!1" or "1pasSWord!"

If you combine them, it makes it very hard to hack:
So, say my password for TOG was "password", I might choose "I like good Passwords TOG" as my phrase.
Then with my Right Key option and the spaces removed it becomes "O;olrhppd{sddeptfd-TOG"
As you can see, it's already got Capitalised letters and Symbols.

Another tip is
5) Change your "recovery" options to something no one will guess.
So, instead of the answer of "Town you were born" being the town you were born, make it your mother's family name. For "Favourite Pet's Name", put your cousins name, and so on.

(taken from Lifehacker's advice on passwords)

[Birko]

Here's an interesting analysis of the passwords that were hacked.
Troy Hunt: A brief Sony password analysis

I was suprised to read that password dictionaries exist; containing variations of normal dictionary w0rds.