New PSN lawsuit claims Sony layoffs to blame for hacks
updated 12:10 pm EDT, Fri June 24, 2011
Sony sued again over PSN, staff cuts pinned
A second lawsuit over PSN hacks this week has accused Sony of cutting jobs whose absence may have worsened or contributed to the hack. A "substantial percentage" of Sony Online Entertainment, including some in the network operations center, were let go just two weeks before the April 19 incident that hit both SOE and PSN. Sony lowered its safeguards through job cuts just as the attacks came in, the lawsuit alleged.
An anonymous witness who worked for SCEA between 2006 and 2008, as well as SOE for almost half of 2010, claimed that Sony had a disproportionate stance on security. It took great care to protect the DevNetwork for companies building PlayStation games but didn't show nearly as much care for PSN members, he said. Multiple accounts from staffers also said Sony had had minor hacks multiple times before but still hadn't toughened up its security.
Firewalls were only installed on an as-needed basis when a breach was discovered, one said.
The complaint, from New Yorkers Felix and Jimmy Cortorreal as well as Jacques Daoud, is being treated as a class action for PSN members and is looking both for compensation for equipment and services as well as other restitution.
Sony hasn't commented on the lawsuit, although it already has a Welcome Back giveaway that includes at least two games and a month of PlayStation Plus access. [via Gamasutra]
