Regardless of where you play, it's always important to keep you information secure online, as it is not uncommon for users to find their information has been compromised by hackers. This is especially important if you purchase a lot of digital games and have your credit card information saved to your PlayStation Network account, as this could mean your card, email address and other personal information could end up in the hands of a complete stranger and be used against you in the case of a data breach or hack.
Most recently, Nintendo was the victim of such an attack with more than 16,000 accounts potentially compromised. For those concerned about how their own accounts on other platforms, such as the , you should know that there are ways to safeguard your data should such a thing happen to you on Sony's platform.
According to the official PlayStation website, the most telling sign that your account has been compromised is if you have been charged for a payment that you do not recognize. If the charge does not relate to an automatic subscription renewal (such as PlayStation Plus) or another family member using the account, then your information might be in trouble.
If this is the case, Sony recommends that you reset all passwords associated with your Sign-In ID and account and contacting the PlayStation Network online. Typing in the problem will direct you to the correct phone number for the specific issue. These same rules also apply if your console itself has been stolen. If someone already changed your sign-in information and you are locked out, contacting Sony is still the best option.
There are slightly different rules if you do not have a PlayStation account but receive notifications that your info might be on the network. If you notice a payment to PlayStation on your bank statement without an account, it may meant that someone has used your payment details to make a purchase on the PlayStation Store. In this case, you need to contact your card provider to sort the issue out.
If you receive an email regarding a PlayStation account you don't have, this means that someone has tried to use your email address to create an account. Change your email password and contact Sony immediately if this happens. Further issues will require you to contact your email provider.
Data breaches aren't uncommon, especially for a company like Sony. Aside from the infamous Sony Pictures hack in 2014, there was also the PSN outage of 2011 in which hackers stole the information of approximately 77 million users across PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. After failing to notify users of a potential data breach in a timely manner, Sony publicly apologized its users, offering those affected free PlayStation Plus memberships and two free PS3 and PSP games depending on the region.