PlayStation finally offers better password security, five years after hack
PlayStation Network now allows users to better secure their accounts with the rollout of an optional two-factor authentication process.
Widely used by other, more secure services, the security measure amounts to the digital version carrying two forms of identification. In the case of PSN, your password is the first step and a code texted to your mobile device is the second.
The texted code applies specifically to sign-ins on PC. For PlayStation consoles and handhelds -- as well as "some mobile phones" -- PSN users with two-factor authentication active need to generate device-specific passwords.
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Device passwords allow users to access whatever PlayStation machines they own without having to punch in an authentication code every time. The benefit here is two-fold.
First, someone trying to sign into your account on hardware that doesn't have an approved device password will still be halted by the need to input a texted code. And second, if you happen to misplace your PS Vita or have your PS4 stolen, device passwords can be revoked from your web browser.
Sony provided a direct link to turn on two-factor authorization in a tweet announcing the new feature.
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It's a little buried otherwise; you have to access your PSN account on the web, go into account settings, click the "Account" tab at the top, then the "Security" tab on the left. You should see a link for two-factor authentication at the bottom of the page.
The addition of two-factor authentication provides a significant boost to user security, one that is frankly long overdue. PlayStation Network was targeted by a major hack in 2011 that left 77 million user accounts compromised and kept the service offline for more than three weeks.
Added security should also help to cut down on the incidences of Sony's historically terrible responses to individual account hacks.
The internet is awash with firsthand accounts of hacked users facing an impossible choice: paying for content they didn't actually purchase or losing access to what they do own when Sony bans them for reversing fraudulent credit card charges.
This is a legitimate problem, and one that's been an issue as far back as the PlayStation 3 era. See here. And here. And here and here and here.
All of which is to say: If you're a PlayStation user, it's a good idea to activate two-factor authentication on your account. If Sony won't protect you right -- and history has shown that it won't -- then it's probably smart to take steps to protect yourself.
Topics Gaming PlayStation
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
