--Attack on Canadian subsidiary compromises 2,000 accounts
--Canada attack did not put credit cards at risk
--Analysts say hackers see Sony as an easy target
By Ian Sherr and Juro Osawa Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRESSony Corp. (SNE, 6758.TO) acknowledged Wednesday that hackers had compromised accounts at the Canadian unit of its mobile phone subsidiary, the latest in a growing string of attacks that target the technology giant.
Sony said it discovered unauthorized access on its systems that compromised the usernames, passwords and email addresses of 2,000 accounts linked to its Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications' operations in Canada. The breach didn't involve any credit-card details, the company said.
The Japanese electronics giant shut down the affected website after the breach was discovered.
The new incursion comes as Sony struggles to recover from earlier attacks that began last month and compromised the names, addresses and other personal information associated with at least 100 million accounts. The attacks forced Sony to shut down its PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment services for 25 days, frustrating the company's customer base.
The intrusions were so sophisticated that Sony says it still is unsure whether credit card data has been accessed.
Sony spokesman Tomio Takizawa said the company hasn't determined whether the recent incidents are linked to the earlier hacks.
Security researchers say the widening ring of attacks suggest Sony has become a become a target of hackers globally. In addition to Canada and the U.S., hackers have successfully breached the company's systems in Thailand, Indonesia and Greece.
Each successful hack fuels the perception that Sony's systems are vulnerable, prompting more attacks, the analysts say.
"They've been identified as a target to be exploited," said Ryan Lipschitz, who runs engineering for network security company Virtual Graffiti Inc. "The hackers are seeing an opportunity."
Analysts say Sony is unlikely to see attacks decrease until the image of its security improves. The company had said it rebuilt its videogame network systems before bringing them back online, but shortly after users were granted access, researchers discovered a vulnerability that could allow hackers to take control of user accounts.
"What Sony needs to do is step back, do an assessment of their risk and then get the right policies and equipment in place to lock down their systems," said Paul Henry, a analyst for Lumension Security Inc. "It's not rocket science."
