Sony CEO Stringer under fire as 25 million more accounts hacked

15 years ago

“Sony CEO Howard Stringer faced harsh criticism of his leadership after the consumer electronics conglomerate revealed hackers may have stolen the data of another 25 million accounts in a second massive security breach,” Isabel Reynolds and Liana B. Baker report for Reuters. “Also under growing pressure was Kazuo Hirai, the likely successor to Stringer and who had spearheaded the development of Sony’s networked businesses until March, when he was promoted to the number 2 position as executive deputy president.”

“Sony’s latest revelation came just a day after it had announced measures to avert another cyberattack like that which hit its PlayStation Network two weeks ago,” Reynolds and Baker report. “The breach may also have led to the theft of 10,700 direct debit records from customers in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain and 12,700 non-U.S. credit or debit card numbers, it said.”

Reynolds and Baker report, “Welsh-born Stringer, a former TV producer who was knighted in 2000, has not commented on the security breach, leaving Hirai to lead a news conference and apology on Sunday. Stringer in March committed to stay in his role for the current year at least.”

“Hirai may not escape the fiasco unscathed, said another fund manager, who sold Sony shares last year and was not authorised to talk publicly about the company,” Reynolds and Baker report. “‘The leadership of Sony is not in a good place right now, which could lead to Stringer stepping down and may sabotage Hirai’s chances of succeeding as the CEO,’ said the Taipei-based fund manager.”