Last week's hacking of the Sony PlayStation online network and Sony's subsequent reactions (or non-reaction) is a complete failure in Crisis PR Management 101. A few things Sony got absolutely wrong that makes me wonder who's managing their Crisis PR department:

• Sony waited a week before releasing a public statement regarding the hacker attack. With a powerful network of 77 million gamers Sony can't afford to remain silent because Microsoft and Nintendo would be more than happy to take a chunk of that 77 million. Lesson for Sony: response time is everything to your brand and reputation. When crisis arises, being proactive and sensitive to the situation and the impact it has on customers potentially helps to mitigate the crisis.