Is your PlayStation Network running slow, experiencing technical difficulties or not working at all? If so, you have been directly affected by a digital war between Sony and the infamous Internet hacker subculture ‘Anonymous.’
The global scattered hacker group, best known for their defense of WikiLeaks, shutting down government websites in the Middle East and a recent attack on the websites of the Westboro Baptist Church, has now turned their attention to Sony.
Anonymous launched a successful distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Playstation.com, the Playstation store and the Playstation Network leaving Sony.com and Playstation.com shut down for several hours on Monday.
A source within Anonymous identified as ‘Jack Daniels’ told TheDC “Note: Judging by the attacks, Sony’s servers suck ass.”
The assault comes in response to the two lawsuits Sony has claimed under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, against 21-year-old New Jersey security researcher George Hotz, better known as GeoHot, and a hacker identified as Graf_Chokolo. Hotz was 17 when he drew attention for jail-breaking the first iPhone.
“You have now received the undivided attention of Anonymous. Your recent legal action against our fellow hackers GeoHot and Graf_Chokolo has not only alarmed us, it has been deemed wholly unforgivable,” Anonymous said in a statement, telling Sony, “You saw a hornet’s nest, and you stuck your penises in it.”
The menacing YouTube video released by Anonymous explains to Sony why they are carrying out the attacks, saying “It has come to our attention that you have decided to interfere in the free flow of information. We will not stand for this.”
Anonymous said that the Japanese tech giant had victimized its customers for possessing the jailbreak information and will now “feel the wrath of Anonymous” claiming that principles and rights are at stake and to expect continued attacks.
“We do not forgive greedy companies. We do not forgive the denial of the free flow of information.” The statement said that Sony was targeting anyone seeking the jailbreak information and in doing so “violated the privacy of thousands.”
The Daily Mail reported that Hotz was ordered by a San Francisco judge to turn over his computer equipment and PayPal records for evidence showing received donations in response to published PS3 jailbreak information.
When asked if shutting down the PlayStation Network pained any Anonymous members, code name Daniels responded, “Hitting the PSN itself was a contested issue, but PS3 users amongst us went forward with it. The issue at hand wasn’t the PS3 users in Anon so much as the PS3 users in the general public that would be affected. As a result, PSN receives only marginal attention with respect to Sony’s other resources.”
According to Anonymous, the current coordinated efforts will “likely water off around the time of the resolution of the lawsuit,” saying that at that time, depending on the outcome, the situation will “escalate or abruptly end.”
In order to end the current attacks, Anonymous said that Sony can “drop the suit against GeoHot. He isn’t a pirate, nor was his software directly responsible for piracy. He is being used as a scapegoat to assuage concerns of piracy that were already present with the PS3. It isn’t the first or the last console that will be pirated and Sony has done well in muddling the issue with it.”
The source within Anonymous went on to say that the attacks had nothing to do with piracy. “Even if GeoHot was out of the picture, PS3 would be pirated.”
According to Anonymous there has been a mixed response as a result of the network shutdown. “Some are waking up and reading into what is at stake, others would rather just keep their heads in the sand and are scapegoating us for interrupting an already mediocre gaming experience.