If there is anything that Sony doesn’t want to do to worsen things after its PSN network was compromised last month, it’s further antagonize hacker groups. So when company deputy president Kaz Hirai spoke to The Guardian at E3 this week, he might have been better off avoiding language like this:
It’s a threat (referring to malicious hacking), not just to Sony or a couple of other companies, but to the very fabric of society. Therefore it requires individuals and companies to be very vigilant, which goes without saying, and we need help from various government, various enforcement agencies and legislation in certain instances as well. And this needs to be a worldwide effort.
Bow like you mean it: Hirai's recent deflections show a reluctance to own the problem
Hirai is not wrong, of course. Cyber attacks are something that we all need to be conscious about, especially in the corporate world. But deflecting the issue to frame it as one faced by “not just Sony” but by “pretty much everyone” — well, that’s not cool. Even if it is everyone’s problem.
Likewise a war of words with hackers is not in Sony’s best interests. Yesterday when Sony Pictures contradicted hacker group LulzSec’s claims that it compromised the information of one million users, saying that only 37,500 users may have been affected — well, I have to wonder if that statement does more harm than good.
Sony needs to be more aware of its lack of “moral capital” and speak very softly and carefully when discussing this issue. Apparently it makes a big difference if hackers think you’re one of the ‘good guys.’
When all is said and done, I think few would argue that corporations (like Sony) who are lax about handling the public’s sensitive information are just as much a threat to society as malicious hackers are.
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