Sony left red-faced after UK hackers raided Michael Jackson catalogue

Sony is facing yet more questions over the strength of its network security after hackers were reportedly able to breach its systems and make off with Michael Jackson's entire back catalogue – a collection the firm paid $250m to obtain.

The attack appears to have taken place last year, when the firm was also stung by an attack on its PlayStation network, which resulted in 77 million users having their personal data, including credit card details stolen.

The theft of 50,000 tracks, a large portion of which were Jackson's, has only just come to light. It bought the tracks as part of an exclusive deal with Jackson's estate in 2010, making it the biggest recording deal in history.

According to The Guardian, two men, James Marks, 26, from Daventry in Northamptonshire, and James McCormick, 25, from Blackpool, appeared in court on Friday accused of offences connected to the breach.

They denied charges under the Computer Misuse Act and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act at Leicester crown court and were released on bail,

Sony was forced to shutter its gaming network for 11 weeks after the attacks last year.

The latest security revelation could not have come at a worse time for Sony.

The company has taken a battering from both natural disasters and cutthroat competition, which saw it post an $2bn loss in its last financial quarters.

Sony were asked to comment on the breach but had not responded at the time of publication.