Hacker attack to cost Sony $172 million, almost as much as initial Japanese earthquake damage

Although I am not a 'tech person', I am sure this is a major issue. Anytime something cost more than a natural diseaster, that is major. I wonder how Sony will recover their losses. Will it be at the expense of the consumer? Just wondering??

Financially speaking, the effects of the hacker attack on Sony Corp. cost the Japanese media conglomerate nearly as much as initial damage from the country's devasting earthquake and tsunami.

The consumer electronics giant estimated Monday that it will have spent $171.7 million this year to repair the damages wreaked by hackers who infiltrated its computers and accessed the account information of hundreds of millions of consumers who used its PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services.

By comparison, the earthquake and tsunami on March 11 caused an estimated $208.5-million hit on the company's profit for the fiscal year ended March 31.

Largely because of the earthquake, Sony said it would have to take a non-cash charge of about $4.4 billion for its fiscal year for deferring tax credits in Japan. Sony amassed the Japanese tax credits over the last three years and had expected to use them over the next several years to offset profits it had projected prior to the earthquake.

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