Howard Stringer finally addresses Sony hack

Hounded by critics for remaining silent despite the theft of personal information from 100 million accounts, Sony's CEO is finally speaking out.

Sir Howard Stringer, in an open letter to customers, addressed the data breach yesterday for the first time since the crisis began on April 20.

"Let me assure you that the resources of this company have been focused on investigating the entire nature and impact of the cyber-attack we’ve all experienced and on fixing it," he wrote. "We are absolutely dedicated to restoring full and safe service as soon as possible and rewarding you for your patience. … As a company we — and I — apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack." 

Stringer's silence on the matter has brought critics out in force, including some who have called on him to resign for the company's handling of the matter. In the note, Stringer hinted that the restoration of the PlayStation Network may be pushed beyond this week, despite the company's vow on May 1. Rather that targeting a specific date, he couched the date by saying networks would return "in the coming days".

Stringer's note comes as CNET reports that another significant hack could come as early as this weekend. (It's worth noting, however, that sophisticated hackers, like the ones who stole personal information for over 100 million accounts from Sony, rarely announce their plans in this fashion.)