Sony hires Homeland Security man to secure PSN

The former director of the US National Cyber Security Center has joined Sony to help fortify its PlayStation Network, months after the online service was struck by a massive data breach.

Philip Reitinger, based in Washington DC, will join Sony as chief information security officer, Sony has said.

The appointment comes after the sensitive personal data of more than 100 million PlayStation accounts was compromised in April. Sony was forced to close down its network for nearly a month, and offered free games to customers in a comprehensive compensation initiative.

"Certainly the network issue was a catalyst for the Reitinger’s appointment," a Sony spokesman told Reuters.

"We are looking to bolster our network security even further."

Recently, Sony CEO Howard Stringer said the PlayStation Network has recovered far beyond expectations following the data hack.

He said the PlayStation Network has grown by more than 3 million users since April.