14 DAY TRIAL // Sony is ready to confirm that it is planning to introduce two-factor authentication to the PlayStation Network in the coming months, after an enterprising user has seen a reference to it in the recently delivered 4.80 firmware update for the PlayStation 3.
Polygon has received a reaction from a spokesperson that states, "In order to further safeguard our users and their accounts, we are preparing to offer a 2-step verification feature."
No timeline has been announced, and the company is not saying whether the same procedure will be used on all devices that can access the PlayStation Network, which include the PlayStation 4 home console, the older PS3, the PlayStation Vita, the PlayStation mobile app and computers connected to the Internet.
Two-factor authentication means that gamers will still use their username and their password but will also have to input a second unique code that's generated using an app installed on a smartphone, which increases the security of an account.
Sony is not yet saying whether all users will be forced to use the new security feature or if it will be entirely optional at first and will only then become mandatory to increase the overall protection for the entire PSN ecosystem.
PlayStation Network was affected by a major hack in 2011
It's not impossible to access accounts protected by two-factor authentication, but it is much harder than for those that only use a classic username and password combination.
The PlayStation Network was targeted by a major hack in 2011, which forced Sony to take down the entire system for a long period of time and saw the personal information of many users revealed to the attackers, which were never fully identified or brought to justice.
Since then sporadic attacks have taken down both the PSN and the Xbox Live from Microsoft, and the two companies have decided to work together to increase security and make sure that the services stay up for as long as possible.
A recent maintenance for the PlayStation Network was supposed to introduce some new features, but the team at Sony has not offered any details on their nature.
Microsoft added the same security feature to all Xbox Live accounts three years ago.
The company has also recently announced that it was interested in creating a connection between its network and the PSN as long as Sony was interested in allowing the two player communities to interact and engage in cross-platform multiplayer.