Xbox is back online; PlayStation still down

WASHINGTON: Sony was still struggling Saturday to fully restore its online PlayStation system, three days after the Christmas day hack that also hit Microsoft’s Xbox, reporting that services were “gradually coming back.”
Meanwhile, Xbox was up and running except for three of its applications, following an allegedly coordinated attack that sent both companies scrambling.
PlayStation, whose support homepage reported that the system was still offline, tweeted Saturday that “PS4, PS3, and Vita network services are gradually coming back online — thanks for your patience.”
A new Twitter user going by the name “Lizard Squad” took credit for the disruption, claiming it had the “nation on strings.”
The name is the same used by a group of hackers that has targeted Sony in the past, though it was not possible to verify the Twitter account’s authenticity.
The account did not return requests for comment and only became active Wednesday.
Sony had earlier this month been hit by a sophisticated hacking attack that stole massive amounts of data from its servers. Analysts say the latest hack was probably the work of fame-seeking amateurs.
“The timing suggests that this is an attack that we can put in the category of adolescents who are looking for a bit of glory,” said Pierre Samson of the European Circle Security and Information Systems.
A major cybertattack on PlayStation in 2011 saw personal details from 77 million customers stolen, forcing Sony to disable the network for more than three weeks.