Hackers attempted to log in to a "massive" number of accounts with user ID and password combinations obtained from an unknown third-party source, according to Philip Reitinger, chief information security officer at Sony.
Of those attempts, 93,000 were successful and have since been locked down. Reitinger says only a "small fraction" of those accounts showed "additional activity prior to being locked" and are under further investigation. He stressed that users' credit card information is not at risk, and that the company will reimburse anyone who had unauthorized purchases made on their account.
Affected users will receive further instructions on reinstating their accounts via email, Reitinger said. He urged all users to have separate log-in credentials at various online services and sites to better protect their information going forward.