Sony Must Get to the Truth of Things and Protect the Japanese Brand

Someone has hacked into the information systems of a subsidiary of Sony, leading to the possibility that a massive 77 million cases of leaked personal information has occurred. Like several other instances, such as in 2005 in America where there was an excess of 40 million cases of leaked credit card information, the magnitude of this case will be the world’s largest. There have not yet been any reports of fraudulent use of this information, but Sony urgently needs to conduct an investigation and disclose their findings.

It is the service known as the “Playstation Network” (PSN), an Internet delivery service, delivering software made for home consoles that has caused the possibility of this information leak. It also uses the same system as “Qriocity,” an Internet delivery service made for television released last spring.

To use this delivery service, you need to register your name, address, e-mail, ID (personal identification) and a password; it may be that all of this information has been leaked. There is no evidence that any credit card information has been leaked, but it seems that we cannot deny the possibility that it has.

Sony has confirmed that the illegal hack happened on April 19, after which they immediately suspended the system and announced all this on April 26. If information has been leaked, then it is possible that it is being fraudulently used at the same time. I am compelled to mention the large onus on Sony as an international corporation, of neglecting to disclose this information for an entire week.

I have doubts as to whether sufficient arresters were in place for the safety aspects of the system that manages information. The Internet delivery service has expanded into 59 countries, and there are delivery servers in various parts of Europe, America and Asia. These servers are connected via the network, and so the reason I have these doubts is because the risk of being hacked in those areas is high.

The credit card information leak that occurred in America caused serious damage because the hackers went straight for the companies that handle this information. This time is different, though, as if there is no membership fee you don’t have to enter any card details — plus, most young people don’t have credit cards.

More importantly than that, though, are the ID and password. There are many users who use the same ID and password combinations for other Internet information services, and so Sony needs to strongly urge those users to immediately change their ID and password for those services.

Another worry is the effect all this will have on the Japanese brand. From Mizuho bank to Sony, confidence in Japan’s security has been greatly shaken after the system problems caused by the earthquake disaster. Furthermore, this time, it is consumers from all over the world that Japan must face.

Sony needs to give serious thought as to why it delayed disclosing information, and even if there has been no fraudulent use, the management ranks must apologize to the users and promise a return to protection. They have a duty to restore people’s faith in the Japanese brand, which has been discredited.