Sony recruits information security boss after hacking

A man plays a game on Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 game console at an electronic store in Tokyo April 27, 2011.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp picked a former official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the new post of chief information security officer, months after a massive hacking attack leaked information on 100 million user accounts on its games networks.

Philip Reitinger, previously director of the U.S. National Cyber Security Center, will become senior vice president and will report to general counsel Nicole Seligman, the Japanese electronics conglomerate said on Tuesday.

"Certainly the network issue was a catalyst for the appointment," a Sony spokesman said. "We are looking to bolster our network security even further."

Shares in Sony have fallen 55 percent since the company revealed the hacking on April 27, sparking widespread criticism and casting a shadow over its plans for expansion in online businesses including music and movie distribution.

Concerns about losses in the TV department and the yen's rise against the euro have also contributed to Sony's woes.

Reitinger, who has also worked for Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Defense, will be based in Washington.

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Joseph Radford)