Sir Howard Stringer Has Apologised To PlayStation Network Users For The Service's Data Breach & Outage.

In an open apology, Stringer said he was aware this "has been a frustrating time" for PSN users and that he was sorry "for the inconvenience and concern caused by this attack".

Stringer reiterated that Sony was fully committed to bringing services back to normal as soon as possible. "We are absolutely dedicated to restoring full and safe service as soon as possible and rewarding you for your patience. We will settle for nothing less," he said.

Stringer also discussed the timeliness of Sony's response, explaining that "forensic analysis is a complex, time-consuming process. Hackers, after all, do their best to cover their tracks, and it took some time for our experts to find those tracks and begin to identify what personal information had — or had not — been taken."

Sony's currently in the process of overhauling its entire security system, something Stringer explains will make the company's defences even stronger should any future attacks occur.

Stringer closed with a sombre statement: "In the last few months, Sony has faced a terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. But now we are facing a very man-made event – a criminal attack on us — and on you — and we are working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies around the world to apprehend those responsible."

According to Stringer the PlayStation Network will be back online in the "coming days". Hopefully not too many days, eh?