Sony Details Restoration Plans for PlayStation Network

The company, which says the service restoration will be a phased one, also discussed several new security enhancements, as well as a program meant to encourage gun shy users to return to the PSN.

"We would like to extend our apologies [to those] who we inconvenienced and worried because we potentially compromised their data,” said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony (and widely considered to be the chief candidate to replace CEO Howard Stringer at some point). “We offer our sincerest apologies."

By the end of the week, Sony plans to restore online game-play access for both the PlayStation 3 and PSP portable gaming device, along with user access to accounts, online movie and music streaming and chat functionality.

That’s bound to make core gamers happy, but many of the 77 million people whose information was illegally obtained by hackers are still worried that their credit card information might have been compromised as well. Sony says that data was encrypted, but acknowledged that it did have 10 million accounts with credit card information on file.

"We take the security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data," said Hirai. “The organization has worked around the clock to bring these services back online, and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks."