Sony says the data thieves may have collected along with users' names, physical and email addresses, PSN online handle and password, birthdate and purchase history, and password hints.

So yeah, they know your mom's maiden name, favorite musician and what elementary school you attended. And they know your password, so if you're the kind of person who uses the same passwords over and over, you might be in for a series of unpleasant surprises over the coming months.

But no worries, the consumer electronics giant said today--the three-digit security code found on the back of your credit card was NOT included in the breach!

"That," said computer law expert Mike Godwin, "is like the weakest defense ever."

Adding a second 3-digit code to a 16-digit credit card number is "relying on security practices that are a couple of decades old," said Godwin, who was the first staff counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Assuming that is enough to wave off info thieves is symptomatic of a larger issue: "The entire system is broken."