Sony Sought Security Staff Shortly After Shutdown

Sony was already looking for an “Application Security Analyst” the day after PSN shut down following an external break-in.

It’s been almost two weeks now since Sony’s PlayStation Network shut down for reasons that were initially murky, but was later revealed to be in reaction to a massive information heist.

While the fallout from the PSN break-in is certain to continue for months if not years, and people point their fingers every which way in blame, people on the internet have unearthed an interesting coincidence: Sony posted a job offer for a Senior Application Security Analyst on CareerBuilder.com on April 21st – a day after taking PSN down in response to the attack.

According to the job posting, the Sr. Analyst position is responsible for:

Ensuring the system/network security architecture and relevant policy and procedures are adhered to for the business; monitor compliance to the organization’s information security policies and standards among employees, customers, contractors, alliances, and other third parties; perform information security risk assessments and serve as the internal auditor in determining system vulnerabilities and recommending safeguards to mitigate risk and ensure optimal performance; provide security engineering and integration services to internal customers and participate in a wide range of security issues and discussions including architecture design, electronic data transmission, and network vulnerability assessment.

In other words, the position is responsible for quite a bit when it comes to safeguarding Sony’s computer databanks. Which is exactly what the company needs right now, with its plans to beef up PSN security.

Now, I just want to make it clear – we here at The Escapist are emphatically not drawing any conspiracy theories here. We aren’t saying that Sony knew its security was substandard, and we aren’t saying that it did this before notifying customers – as far as we know, this is just an interestingly timed coincidence and nothing more. Sony is a big company, and it could be recruiting for IT security in departments that have nothing to do with PSN. And heck, that is a lot of Human Resources copy that needed to be written and approved in a short amount of time.

It’s an interesting coincidence and it certainly makes you think, but that could very well be all it is.

Edit: Forum user JDKJ notes that Sony was looking to fill the position as early as April 17th, which was before the hack. Well, that changes everything. Clearly, this was an inside job/a Sony conspiracy/done by Elvis alien communists.

Probably not. It’s still interesting, though.

(Thanks for the link, Biodisaster!)