Sony PlayStation Networks, Microsoft Xbox Live Attacked, Hackers Claim Credit

(RTTNews) - Sony Corp.'s (SON.L, SNE) PlayStation Network and Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Xbox Live and have been hit by connection failures on Christmas Day, with the hackers Lizard Squad claiming responsibility.

The group, which took credit for an attack on Sony earlier this year, said that it was behind the attacks. The group said it would "stop hitting" the services if users called attention to the hack by retweeting its statements.

This month, a group called Guardians of Peace reportedly claimed responsibility for hacking into the Tokyo-based company's servers, destroying data, exposing Hollywood secrets, and forcing Sony's movie studio to cancel the nationwide theater release of "The Interview," a comedy about a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Instead, Sony released the movie online and on the Xbox network. Both hacking groups had threatened further disruptions on Christmas Day.

About 300 theaters on Thursday screened the movie that apparently triggered the hacking attack.

Users are having difficulty signing into their online accounts and Xbox is working to fix the problem, according to an alert on Xbox Live's website. The PlayStation Network is experiencing similar issues.

"are you having a tough time signing in to Xbox Live? We won't stop working until we find a fix, and we encourage you to keep trying to sign in in the meantime. Thanks for your patience! We'll post an update right here in a half hour," Xbox Live said.

"We are aware that some users are experiencing difficulty logging into the PSN. We will update this article with any changes that occur in regards to this issue. Thank you for your patience," Sony Computer Entertainment America said on its website.

Sony Pictures released "The Interview" online Wednesday via Google Inc.'s (GOOG) YouTube video-streaming website, the Xbox video console and www.seetheinterview.com, a website sponsored by Sony.

Sony Pictures said in Wednesday that the film would be available to rent in HD on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and www.seetheinterview.com at a price of $5.99. The film can also be purchased in HD for $14.99.