Sega warns of Pass hack as LulzSec offers its assistance

Site taken offline as company investigates database breach

Sega has become the latest games company to fall victim to a data breach at the hands of hackers.

The company has sent out an email to registered users of the Sega Pass service warning that its database had been breached. The company said that it had taken measures to isolate the breach and that it was currently investigating the incident.

While email addresses and dates of birth of members have been obtained in the hack, all password information was encrypted and no payment details were obtained, Sega said.

In the meantime, the company has shut down access to the Sega Pass web site, notifying users that the site was "going through some improvements".

Games companies have become prime targets for attackers in recent weeks. Sony has found itself in the crosshairs a number of times, particularly those of hacking group LulzSec.

In addition to multiple attacks on Sony, LulzSec has been connected to security breaches or denial-of-service attacks on Nintendo, Bathesda, EVE online and Minecraft, among others.

The group has, however, denied its involvement in the attack and has offered to help Sega track down those responsible.

"Contact us. We want to help you destroy the hackers that attacked you," the group said in a post to its official Twitter feed.

"We love the Dreamcast, these people are going down."