First, we have Apple. After the revelation that iPhones and iPads are , and that the data is in an unencrypted file that is also backed up to the PC when the iOS device is synced with iTunes, the Apple response was essentially "it wasn't me". Apple often handles public relations incidents by simply pretending they don't exist, and working hard to convince customers they don't exist as well.

Then, you have companies like Sony and Verizon. Sony is in the midst of a public relations firestorm over the , which then turned out to be a data breach, which then may--or may not--have exposed all 77 million credit cards on file. And, you have Verizon, which is still recovering from a services.

Both Sony and Verizon are ahead of Apple in that they at least acknowledge the issue exists. But, Verizon did the bare minimum--essentially acknowledging that it is experiencing an outage, and then (much) later communicating that service was being restored. Meanwhile, Sony goes one step farther and issues the semi-obligatory communication letting customers know how much Sony values their privacy, and truly appreciates them as customers.

Technologizer's Harry McCracken recently broke down exactly . I agree. Telling me you value the privacy you just allowed to be breached, and how much you appreciate my business just seems like a veiled plea for me not to leave. Quit whining, own responsibility for what happened, and apologize.

The Texas State Comptroller, Susan Combs, . Following the discovery that sensitive information on millions of Texas had been left exposed on the public Web, Combs took swift action, but most importantly she took responsibility, and she apologized to the affected individuals and the state of Texas as a whole.