Sony appoints security head after hacks

Sony

Sony has appointed a chief information security officer (CISO) a position it promised to fill after the notorious hacks devastated the entertainment giant in April.

Philip R Reitinger has been handed the job and will take control of Sony's global data security and privacy business.

"As Sony Group's top information security executive, Reitinger will be responsible for assuring the security of Sony's information assets and services," the electronics firm said.

"He will oversee information security, privacy and internet safety across the company, coordinating closely with key headquarters groups and working in partnership with the information security community to bring the best ideas and approaches to Sony."

Reitinger has held a number of major roles in various US Government departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defence and the Department of Justice.

He also worked for Microsoft as director of the Redmond giant's Trustworthy Computing division.

The appointment comes over four months after the hacks on Sony, which saw information belonging to over 100 million people compromised.

Sony was forced into upping its security significantly following the criticism it faced after the hacks.

In addition to promising to employ a CISO, the PlayStation creator introduced extra data protection and encryption systems, alongside automated software monitoring and configuration management to help defend against new attacks.

All in all, the hacks have proven costly for Sony. It will be hoping the saga will be forgotten sooner rather than later.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.