BBC assembles experts to comment on Sony crisis

The fact that it's been one of the worst couple of weeks for Sony -- and its customers -- cannot be disputed. However, the future of this crisis, which started a couple of weeks ago when Sony's network was hacked and user information was stolen, is anybody's guess. As such, BBC News assembled a panel of four industry experts to comment on the situation and speculate where Sony might go from here.

Richard Merrin, a PR director, said that Sony demonstrated both the worst and best ways to respond to a crisis: "In the first instance, Sony waited ten days before telling users what was happening, which is a classic error in terms of communications. It knocked consumer [confidence] and damaged Sony's reputation. But with the second incident, it has acted extremely quickly and seems to be following the four golden rules in crisis PR -- to be open, honest, transparent and fast."

"In terms of PR, I think Sony can turn it around," said ComputerandVideoGames.com's Tim Ingham. "Consumers are often quickly outraged by this sort of wobble from a global corporation -- but we tend to have short memories if we're not personally damaged by a given incident."

The security expert, Sophos' Graham Cluley, said this doesn't change how users should protect themselves: "People need to be more careful with their passwords and make sure that they have different passwords for different online accounts."

You can read the rest of the comments at BBC News.

Reader Comments (18)

In the old day those executives should have performed harakiri on national TV, now they just bowing and apologizing, how low they have fallen.
Sony will recover from this eventually, but the brand reputation will not.
Think about Toyota and its unstoppable Prius incident, the company was dragged through the mud by media, but people still buy hybrids and Prius is still at the top of its class. However, is Toyota still at the top of its game, probably not. Same with Sony, it is still will be overpriced and preferable choice for electronic entertainment for years to come, but it will no longer be able to claim to be superior to its competition, and that is a good thing. It will be interesting to see who is going to claim the crown in gaming that Sony has been holding for years since PSX.

@Luk

Ummm, I don't know if you noticed, but Sony hasn't even seen a crown this generation. They've been in last place this whole time. That's not to say there were doing bad or anything, but they've been behind the 360 and even further behind the Wii in terms of sales. In attachment rates, it seems about the same except the 360 seems to be first, Wii second, and PS3 last. Like I said, last place doesn't mean you're doing bad, it just means the competition is doing better.

And before anyone decides to drop a fanboy comment, the only console I own is my PS3, I played it regularly before this incident, I played it regularly during it, and I'll continue to do so after this whole mess is settled.

People will forget about this in no time. Some users may choose to hold a grudge longer than others, but Sony will recover and they'll be sitting pretty again just like before this incident started.

@PrimeSynergy
I agree with you about the current console generation assessment, however, PS1 and PS2 were undisputed in both popularity and content. So the slide down has been in the making, but when I think Sony I think about those 2 consoles and what they have done for gaming.

@Luk

Ah ok I see what ya mean now. I think in terms of sales, the Wii or maybe a console sometime in the future may take that crown from Sony. However, just in terms of the sheer impact it had on the gaming world, I think it'll be a while before we see something that can challenge it.

I agree with you though, whatever claims that crown they've been solidly holding onto for all these years will definitely be an interesting site to see.

@PrimeSynergy I don't see the Wii takeing the crown due to the nature of the majority of the games for it.What I see happening is Microsoft getting the crown or Sony retaining it. Because microsoft has a wider selection of game styles and more popular titles then Wii as well as microsoft dabs a little in the pc gameing field. That is where Sony is still superior to both Nintendo and Microsoft. Sony has a wider market of products that the others don't. While this may set them back a little PR wise in the long run you can't fault Sony for the actions of others. They will come out of this just fine. This just goes to show everyone that there are Humans working for Sony and not Robots.

@Puremallace

Yes, yes it is getting serious.

And it's just good that Sony is taking it seriously now. They know they are being eyed by customers wearing "red-tinted sunglasses of hate".

@Space Cobra Well the hate if you read some of the news groups and IiRC channels goes beyond Sony despite claims that they didn't do it people are still aiming squarely at anon, and everyone I have spoke to in the security industry (some who work for the crown here in the U.K.) say that these people don't really understand the type of hell they have just bought down on themselves.

@Dunraven Well if I can respectfully disagree. I think they knew full well what they were getting into. Regardless of Sony's security measures, it still required considerable know-how and skill to break in and steal this information. I doubt they went into this unaware of the consequences if they got caught.

After Sony claimed that no credit card or debit card information was stolen on the first intrusion, the hackers obviously wanted to prove a point and came back Sunday to show that they could.

To be completely honest, I wouldn't be surprised if we never catch these people. But i sincerely hope we do.

If they have mic issues, they should get a technician to look at it instead of bending down for the entire session.

@vaajtswv

The microphones are are fine. They're finding out how it personally feels to be hacked... starting with the prostate.

@vaajtswv
They're just hunch-backed.

This sucks. I got one of those SOE emails stating my data may have been compromised. However, I cannot remember which SOE game I played and/or what data I provided to them.

I'm just glad I don't own a PS3 right now.

@Stormwalker
Mine broke exactly one hour after the guarantee was over... Haven't touched the PS3 since.

I think it highly hilarious that i bought a ps3 on the same day the network was hacked and didn't have a chance of getting a PSN account and buying games.

Although i also bought mk9 and it sucks that i can't play online haha.

I'm not waiting around to be 'personally damaged' by such a mind-boggling degree of incompetence. This company had lost my trust as a game developer for the most part already... now they've compounded that by demonstrating just how untrustworthy they are to protect their customers identities and finances.

I don't care how curious or interested I am in any of their current or future products... they will never get a single cent from me again.

(multiple year subscriber to EQ and Vanguard... but not anymore)

@ultimateq

"After Sony claimed that no credit card or debit card information was stolen on the first intrusion, the hackers obviously wanted to prove a point and came back Sunday to show that they could."

This later Massively interview (linked) says that it was only one attack, not two. They had gotten in, took what they could, and tried to cover their tracks.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/soe-answers-our-questions-about-the-recent-database-incurson/

And really, that sounds the most logical. Only a bad (or arrogant) thief goes back to the scene of a crime, even if there is no indication that the first break-in was found out. Not saying they could be "bad" or "good" at their stealing, but it generally ups the chance of them being caught/traced.

You get in, you get out and you don't return.

@Space Cobra
Is that experience speaking? :D
Anyway, generally I agree with you. The exception to that logical rule are people who are abnormaly confident in themselves, I suppose that again doesn't include shop-lifters.
I mean think about it, you and me, we think along the lines of "Doing it again in the same way is too unsecure, not worth it.", a emotionally challenged person instead may think "I did it once, I can do it again, that's how good I am. I'll show you fvckers!"
There's no big distinction between very smart people and plain dvmba55es in that regard. Smart ones are just harder to catch and may have more or less appropriate responses to various possible situations.

BBC assembles experts to comment on Sony crisis

Reader Comments (18)

Posted: May 3rd 2011 3:58PM Luk said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 4:25PM PrimeSynergy said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 4:31PM Luk said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 4:40PM PrimeSynergy said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 6:24PM starbuck1771 said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 3:59PM Space Cobra said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 4:41PM Dunraven said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 5:13PM ultimateq said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 5:30PM vaajtswv said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 9:55PM yeppers said

Posted: May 4th 2011 2:19AM PaterFrog said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 6:22PM yeppers said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 6:50PM Stormwalker said

Posted: May 4th 2011 2:20AM PaterFrog said

Posted: May 3rd 2011 9:38PM Strangeape said

Posted: May 4th 2011 12:27AM ArcherAvatar said

Posted: May 4th 2011 1:34AM Space Cobra said

Posted: May 4th 2011 2:15AM PaterFrog said

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