PlayStation Network will be returning soon and according to Sony the internal testing of its new system is in the final stages. They have not said exactly when PSN will be back on, but last month Sony confirmed that certain PSN services would go live during the first week of May.

Here’s the latest corporate communications from Director Patrick Seybold published on the PlayStation Blog.

“Today our global network and security teams at Sony Network Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment began the final stages of internal testing of the new system, an important step towards restoring PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, As previously mentioned, we’ve been working around the clock to rebuild the network and enhance protections of your personal data. It’s our top priority to ensure your data is safe when you begin using the services again. We understand that many of you are eager to again enjoy the PlayStation Network and Qriocity entertainment services that you love, so we wanted you to be aware of this milestone and our progress. We will provide additional updates as soon as we can.”

A letter from Howard Stringer the president and CEO of Sony, said, “To date, there is no confirmed evidence any credit card or personal information has been misused, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. In the coming days, we will restore service to the networks and welcome you back to the fun. I wanted to personally reach out and let you know that we are committed to serving you to the very best of our ability, protecting your information better than ever, and getting you back to what you signed up for – all the games and great entertainment experiences that you expect from Sony.”

Sony also said it’s providing a complimentary enrollment in an identity theft protection program for U.S. users, with plans to offer similar programs in other countries.

“Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International have made arrangements with Debix, Inc., one of the industry’s most reputable identity protection firms, to offer AllClear ID Plus at no cost to PlayStation Network and Qriocity account holders for 12 months from the time an account holder registers for the program.

Please note that we will start sending out activation emails for this program over the next few days, and you will have until June 18th to sign-up and redeem your code. You will need to sign up directly through AllClearID, not on Sony’s websites, and details, including step-by-step instructions for the program, will be emailed to United States PSN and Qriocity Account holders soon.”

Head over the the PlayStation Blog for additional details

Follow @Shockya on twitter on for the latest on the PSN Outage.

By Brent Butler