Any active PlayStation 3 user who has tried to use online services recently knows that the PlayStation Network is currently shut down. Since April 20th PlayStation and Qriocity services have been disabled. Responding to the frustration, however, a Q&A update was put up on PlayStation's official blog on April 27th.
The question everyone wants answered is, "When will the PlayStation Network be back up and running?" The truthful answer is: Who knows. Sony insists that they are working day and night to secure the network. As for a timeframe for services to be back up, Sony says, we expect to have some services up and running within a week from yesterday". This means generally around May 3rd. However, they only mention that "some services" will be available. Hopefully the PlayStation Network will be fully functional soon.
According to Sony, personal date stored on the PlayStation Network (email, billing addresses, etc.) was breached as the information was not encrypted. However, it is unsaid whether or not credit card information has been stolen. Sony says this: "While all credit card information stored in our systems is encrypted and there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility." It's recommended to watch credit reports closely if you have ever purchased anything off of the PlayStation Network with a credit card.
Among other answered questions, Sony mentions that all users will have to update their passwords through an update when the network is back up. We will have to stay tuned to Sony's announcements for further information regarding a date in which the network will be up and running again.
