When you hear the phrase “Information-stealing Trojan” what comes to mind – and what does it have to with a PlayStation password reset?
We’ll come back to the question in a bit. Right now, let’s talk about Sony’s plans for PlayStation in 2025. Fresh from the success of its 30th Anniversary celebrations, Sony plans to continue releasing major single player games each year.
So, if you enjoyed the single player Ghost of Tsushima on PlayStation 4 (PS4), look out for its sequel Ghost of Yotei in 2025. Meanwhile, Microsoft also plans to launch Xbox’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for PS5 in 2025.
And this is where trojans come in.
Hackers know these releases are on the horizon, so they target gamers by sending tempting download offers for “exclusive” gameplay access. What unsuspecting users are actually downloading are information-stealing trojans.
There’s a lot at stake here: Hackers can use the trojans to harvest login credentials and hijack PSN (PlayStation Network) accounts and all sub-accounts linked to them.
How to Reset Your PlayStation Account Password
If anyone you know has lost access to their account, the first step is to try resetting their PSN password. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Head to the Account Management sign-in screen and select “Trouble signing in?” and then click “Recover your account” under “I forgot my password or can’t use my passkey.”
- On the next screen, enter the sign-in ID (or email address associated with the PSN account) and click “Send Link.”
- Check for a verification email with a secure link to reset the account password. If the email isn’t in the inbox, check the junk or spam folder.
- Click the “Recover Your Account” link in the email.
- Verify the account with the date of birth used during the initial sign-up process.
- On the next screen, click “Create a password.” Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters to meet password strength requirements.
- If a passkey has never been set up, there’s an option to do so now. To activate, simply click “Create a passkey” to bypass using a password for logins. With passkey activation, [Require password at checkout] will also be disabled for PlayStation Store purchases.
Troubleshooting Login Issues
If you don’t have a passkey, have forgotten your verification information (such as your date of birth), or you’ve been completely locked out of your account, your best bet is to contact PlayStation Support.
Use the Live Chat service to interact with a customer service agent. You’ll need the following account information to help with the recovery process:
- Your online ID and sign-in ID (the email address associated with your account)
- Serial number of the console used to create or log into your account
- Details of any recent transactions (including Order Numbers, content purchased, prices, and dates of transactions)
- Answer to your security question, if any
If you previously enabled 2-step verification (2SV), there’s another option for you. During the setup process, you may have chosen to receive verification codes via an authenticator app or SMS text message (for which you provided your mobile phone number).
If you’re having trouble signing in now, try recovering your account with your 2SV backup codes.
But what are 2SV backup codes, you ask?
Great question: PlayStation provides 10 backup codes every time 2SV is set up. Many people choose one of two ways to save the codes: taking a screenshot of them or uploading them to a password manager like LastPass.
If you have the codes on hand, simply enter one of them when prompted for 2SV during the login process. But if you’ve lost your backup codes altogether, contact PlayStation Support to recover your account.
Protecting Access to Your PSN Account
How to handle “Incorrect Password” errors
Did you receive an “incorrect password” error while signing in via Google TV?
Note that if you have 2SV enabled, you won’t be able to use Google TV for logins.
If you see the error message, disable 2SV to sign in and then reactivate it once you’re finished. To turn off 2SV, sign in on a connected device and select “Security.” Under “2-Step Verification Status,” select “Edit” to deactivate.
How to retrieve or update your sign-in ID (email)
If your account was previously compromised and you’ve now recovered access to it, you’ll want to immediately change your sign-in ID and password.
To do this, sign in to your account and navigate to your “Security” settings. Click “Edit” under “Sign-In ID” to enter a new email address. After you click “Save,” you’ll receive an email to verify your new email address. Be sure to look for the verification link in your new email (rather than the old one).
To change your PSN password, click “Edit” next to “Password.”
Finally, if your PSN account was compromised by someone who had access to your old email account, you may want to consider changing the password for that account. You can easily and quickly create strong new passwords for your PSN and email accounts with our free customizable password generator.
Tips for recovering access if you've forgotten your PSN email
Can't sign in because you’ve forgotten your PSN email? Try searching for “PlayStation purchase” in your email inbox. Be sure to check the junk or spam folder, as well.
If you find the email address associated with your account, use the step-by-step guide provided at the beginning of this article to recover access to your account.
Avoid Forgotten Passwords with LastPass
Now that you’ve used our password generator to create strong passwords, you’ll want to store them safely in your own personalized digital vault.
With LastPass, the contents of your vault are protected by military-grade AES-256 encryption.
By storing all your passwords in an encrypted digital vault, you don’t have to save it to an unsecured app like Google Doc, which leaves you vulnerable to hackers. And with Autofill and a variety of passwordless login options, you’ll never have to remember another password again.
With new, exciting releases on the horizon, can you afford to leave your PlayStation account unsecured and your favorite games accessed by unauthorized users?
Protect what’s yours by joining millions of happy users worldwide: Take LastPass Premium for a free 30-day test drive today.
