Sony must implement effective anti-hacker program
Personal information on about 100 million customers around the world is suspected to have been compromised in a hacker attack on the Sony group's online game and entertainment programs.
It is highly likely the incident will develop into the worst information leak in history. Sony has asked the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to look into the case.
However, the company must independently discover how hackers broke into the networks and improve its system to prevent any similar attacks in the future.
The PlayStation Network and the Qriocity on-demand service were targeted in the cyber attacks. Games can be downloaded from the PlayStation Network for use on PlayStation consoles, while downloads of movies, music and other content are available from Qriocity.
Personal information is also suspected to have been stolen from another Sony game service subsidiary.
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Loose cyber defense
Sony has said the companies involved had safeguards against hacker intrusions, but the culprits found weaknesses. Ultimately, the companies' measures were insufficient.
The affected users are said to reside in about 60 countries and territories, with most in North America. The personal data suspected to have been stolen include names, physical addresses and e-mail addresses, as well as passwords necessary for downloading from the networks.
It is also feared that data related to credit cards used to purchase games and music through the services have also been leaked. The damage that could derive from credit card data theft must be kept to a minimum.
Sony Corp. and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said they have already introduced enhanced security measures, including higher levels of data protection and encryption.
However, hackers' attacks are becoming more sophisticated year by year. To block them, companies need to improve their cyber defense techniques even further.
Also problematic is the fact that Sony was slow in disclosing information on the cyber attacks. Sony confirmed on April 19 the hackers' actions in the United States and suspended the services on the following day. However, the company announced the suspected data leak on April 26, a delay of one week.
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Priority given to new products?
On April 26, immediately before the announcement of the suspected data leak, Sony announced the launch of its first tablet computers to compete with those of market leader Apple Inc. It is reasonable to wonder whether Sony gave priority to the announcement of strategic products over the disclosure of information important to users.
The U.S. Congress criticized the delay and a House of Representatives panel sent Sony a list of written questions. Sony may come under further pressure both at home and abroad.
Last year, the U.S. Congress criticized Toyota Motor Corp. for its slow responses to problems with its cars that led to massive recalls. Was it impossible for Sony to have acted swiftly, learning from Toyota's experience?
Sony plans to resume full operations of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity this month. However, delay in ascertaining the whole picture of the suspected data leak will prolong users' distrust toward Sony. This would inevitably have a serious affect on Sony's growth strategy of boosting its Internet-related businesses.
Care for children affected by disaster
Colorful carp streamers have been flying all over the country in honor of Children's Day (May 5), even in regions affected by the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
For instance, special carp streamers are flying at a former high school building in Kazo, Saitama Prefecture, to which 1,200 disaster victims have been evacuated from Futabamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, due to the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Kazo is a city known for manufacturing carp streamers. A long-established shop there made special carp streamers with the name and emblem of Futabamachi printed on them, and presented them to the evacuees.
Carp streamers are a symbol of Children's Day. Such streamers are waving in skies over evacuation centers and other disaster-related facilities to express adults' wishes for children there to regain their smiles.
Children's Day is a time to wish for the healthy growth of children. It should also be a day to think about the future of children affected by the disaster.
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Tough environment for kids
They face very difficult circumstances after the disaster. The deaths of over 480 children of high school age or younger have been confirmed, and 132 children are known to have lost both parents in the disaster.
Iwate Prefecture and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry have discussed a plan to establish a boarding school with a unified primary and middle school program for disaster orphans. Many people around the country have also volunteered to take in and raise orphans.
Many such children are staying at relatives' homes. Child-welfare workers and other experts should study their respective situations and help them find the most suitable living environments.
Ashinaga, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that supports orphans, created a special lump-sum support program after the disaster. The organization will provide from 100,000 yen to 400,000 yen to orphans and children whose families lost their bread-winners, ranging from preschool children to young adults in graduate school. More than 600 applications have been made so far.
Ashinaga is reportedly planning to establish a Tohoku regional base in Sendai within two years. The base will include a facility where children who have lost one or both parents can meet and share their experiences and feelings with each other. Ashinaga has a similar base in Kobe, which was hit by a massive earthquake in 1995.
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Corporate support
Private companies have also started supporting children affected by the disaster.
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan have jointly established a 1 billion yen fund to provide disaster orphans with scholarships. Some corporations have started gathering information to determine how they may best help such children. We encourage more companies to take similar actions.
Disaster regions have many children who have lost their homes and whose parents have lost their jobs. Quite a few of them had to be transferred to schools in other prefectures, far away from their hometowns.
Schools alone cannot provide such students with sufficient academic support. It is important for nonprofit organizations and groups of university students to continue to do their part.
Teachers, counselors and other staffers at school should work together to care for the children's mental and emotional needs.
Adults should always stand by children and support them over the long term.
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