Hackers in new Sony attack reveal a million people's details

The personal details of more than a million Sony customers worldwide were published online today by computer hackers.

The leak comes just weeks after the electronics giant suffered the largest ever cyber attack.
The latest attack was by a group called Lulz Security. It was the first time that so much stolen data had been made freely available online.

The hackers said they had broken into servers that run the Sony Pictures site and downloaded personal details of competition entrants.
The Evening Standard was able to download part of the database, and see what appears to be passwords, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.

The group also claimed to have databases from Sony BMG Belgium and the Netherlands, which contain user and staff information.
The group today criticised Sony's lack of security saying: "Why do you put such faith in a company that allows itself to become open to these simple attacks?

"What's worse is that every bit of data we took wasn't encrypted.

Sony stored over a million passwords of its customers in plain text, which means it's just a matter of taking it. This is disgraceful and insecure: they were asking for it."

Jim Kennedy, of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said: "We are looking into these claims."
The attack came as Sony Corp executives were trying to reassure the US government about its data security following the April attack on the Playstation Network.