Just as Sony has just managed to undue most of the damage done by hackers due to the PlayStation Network security breach, Sega Pass customers were hit, possibly by the same attackers. Sega Pass is an online portal that allows users to download popular video game titles. Now that both Sony and Sega have been hit within a few months of each other, users are beginning to wonder exactly how their personal information is stored. Normally, encryption will stop even sophisticated hackers from being able to make heads or tails of secure data, even if they are able to make it past firewalls and other security measures. Unfortunately, it seems that Sega failed to take adequate steps to securely store its customers vital information.
Like Sony, Sega delivered a heartfelt apology to customers, but many feel that it is too little, too late. Sony customers have been urged to change their passwords, especially if they used them on other websites. It appears that the hackers were not able to get to billing information, but a database with the up to date information of more than 1.3 million people could be just as valuable to unscrupulous characters. Identify theft is a real fear in this technologically advanced age, and having the complete contact information and names of such a large number of targets could cause many Sega customers to experience long-term difficulties. Anyone that has a Sega Pass account should go to the company’s official website and follow the instructions listed for securing their data.
