Sony to resume PlayStation Network service

Sony says it expects some parts of the PlayStation Network to be back online within a week following the security breach which caused it to be shut down on April 20.

Nick Caplin, Head of Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said employees at the technology company had been "working day and night to restore operations".

Hackers have accessed names, addresses, countries, email addresses, birth dates, PSN and Qriocity usernames, passwords and online handles, according to Sony.

In an FAQ on the issue, Mr Caplin said the firm expected "to have some services up and running within a week". Customers are likely to see some operations restored by May 4.

The news comes as Lovefilm reassured customers that their personal details remain safe and secure.

Monthly subscribers to Lovefilm have been unable to stream films to their PlayStation 3 consoles because of the temporary closure of the PlayStation Network.

In an email to customers, the company said: "Please don't worry about the personal details on your Lovefilm account – it is not possible to access these through the PlayStation Network (we hold this information, not Sony), so it all remains completely safe and secure. Even if you used the PS3 to sign-up for Lovefilm, your data is still locked tight in our vaults."

Sony's blog has indicated that customers will receive a goodwill gesture to compensate for the problems which will be seen by analysts as a way of defusing the anger among many users over the delays by the company in admitting credit card details could be among the personal information stolen by hackers.