Sony Hire New Security Boss

A former Microsoft executive, who worked with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has defected to Sony’s camp. Phil Reitinger previously served as the Under Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and as Director of the National Cyber Security Center. It’s fair to say that he’s a fairly good guy to have on board for your online security needs.

This appointment is most likely the result of a search following the infamous PSN hacking scandal earlier this year. Reitinger has done two stints with U.S. government cyber crime fighters. He was an Executive Director of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center before becoming Microsoft’s Chief Trustworthy Infrastructure Strategist.

He now joins Sony after a more recent stint with the Department of Homeland Security and will no doubt be tightening up their network security in the continuing efforts to ensure a hack-free future for the PSN, wherever possible.

Source: Reuters via CVG.

26 Comments

  1. He sounds like he’s good in that field, although it’s unlikely he’d be doing anything, rather he’d be telling others to do stuff.
    It’s not the management you need to focus on, but the people actually doing the grunt work.

  2. Good for Sony. But is there any details of the previous attck?

  3. Well, it sounds reassuring at least – which might be part of the intent, i wonder if this news will give Sony shares a boost.

  4. Ha, head of security!? I bet he couldn’t decode some of my Assembler 370 XA code from back in the 90’s, I know I sure hadn’t got a clue about half of the stuff I wrote!

  5. maybe he is a secret spy how still works for microsoft

    • who

    • Been playing too many games? :P

      • definatley

      • I would not brush off his fears that easily. Microsoft DID indeed send a trojan horse, Stephen Elop, into Nokia. Just sayin’.

  6. “the infamous PSN hacking scandal” Sounds like something Sony would try and take out a super injunction to try and prevent this from becoming public.

  7. I’m just intrigued to hear that they can afford someone who was once the “Director of the National Cyber Security Center, Under Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and Executive Director of the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center”. He sounds expensive.

    • I bet he’s cheaper than the potential consequences of not hiring him.

    • what a cool job title

      • Isn’t his job title Director, Programs Directorate and Executive Director? The rest is just his departments?

    • There is no effing way I’m designing his business card!

      • To fit all that in on a business card would be a challenge. Maybe go for A4 business cards? =P

      • Instead of the pocket sized one’s you’d need to carry an A4 folder with you to put them in.

  8. Wow, what a title. Odds are that after having been in positions like the ones listed he must be pretty good. Certainly seems like a good move from the limited info available to judge with.

  9. LOL. Cos Microsoft products and the Department of Homeland Security have never been hacked, over and over, right? *rolls eyes* Oh dear.

    Usually, the more prestigious their title, the less they know about actual IT security. Hire someone who knows something about PS architecture. Hire Geohot and the dudes at ps3devwiki. Then they might actually get something useful done.

  10. Previous job titles and the top man mean nothing, he’ll be delegating to regular people, its them that need to be better.

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