Sony fined with £250,000 for data breach

Consumer electronic companies can't get away with even the slightest of errors in keeping the customer's privacy intact.

Recently, UK data privacy czar - the UK Information Commisioner - levied huge penalty on Sony over its 2011 PlayStation Network security breach.

Sony's European arm has been punished for poor protection of its customer's privacy with $390,000 (£250,000) fine.

According to media reports, in 2011, due to a hack of its PlayStation Network online gaming community's database, 77 million customers' personal details were exposed.

Because of this, the cyber housebreakers were able to get away with customers' personal details such as payment card details, names, postal and email addresses, account passwords etc. In the UK, about three million bank customers had to change their account details and obtain new credit cards, it has been reported.

Two years later, the UK Information Commissioner - the official watchdog for privacy and data security - has decided the breach was due to poor IT security by Sony.

Sony has however not yet given any offical statement.