2014 Sony Pictures hack

Release of hacked data from Sony Pictures Sony hack March 2021 March 2021 Sony Pictures hack Sonypicturesentertainmentoffices.jpg Sony Pictures headquarters in Culver City, California November 24, 2014 Culver City, California, U.S. Sony Pictures Entertainment Cyberattack, data breach Ransomware, data theft, wiper malware Guardians of Peace (claimed)North Korea (accused) Sony and the U.S. government On November 24, 2014, the hacker group "Guardians of Peace" leaked confidential data from the film studio Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE). The data included employee emails, personal and family information, executive salaries, copies of then-unreleased films, future film plans, screenplays, and other information.http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/No.%20646%20-%20Gabi%20and%20Dudi%20for%20web.pdf 23 March 2023 Siboni Gabi Gabi Siboni Siman-Tov David Cyberspace Extortion: North Korea versus the United States INSS 23 December 2014 August 20, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160820031432/http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/No.%20646%20-%20Gabi%20and%20Dudi%20for%20web.pdf live The perpetrators then employed a variant of the Shamoon wiper malware to erase Sony's computer infrastructure.Zetter Kim The Sony Hackers Were Causing Mayhem Years Before They Hit the Company https://www.wired.com/2016/02/sony-hackers-causing-mayhem-years-hit-company/ 23 March 2023 Wired 24 February 2016 March 12, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170312171436/https://www.wired.com/2016/02/sony-hackers-causing-mayhem-years-hit-company/ live During the hack, the group demanded that Sony withdraw its then-upcoming film The Interview, a political satirehttps://westerngazette.ca/culture/the-interview-satire-is-the-greatest-enemy-of-tyrants/article_eaf720e1-087b-5bbf-8cec-770777fcc75b.html The Interview: Satire is the Greatest Enemy of Tyrants westerngazette.ca Holmes, Brent 4 January 2015 January 11, 2025 December 15, 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241215160641/https://westerngazette.ca/culture/the-interview-satire-is-the-greatest-enemy-of-tyrants/article_eaf720e1-087b-5bbf-8cec-770777fcc75b.html live action comedy film produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The film stars Rogen and James Franco as journalists who set up an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un only to then be recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The hacker group threatened terrorist attacks at cinemas screening the film, resulting in many major U.S. theater chains opting not to screen The Interview. In response to these threats, Sony chose to cancel the film's formal premiere and mainstream release, opting to skip directly to a downloadable digital release followed by a limited theatrical release the next day. http://oag.ca.gov/system/files/12%2008%2014%20letter_0.pdf Sony Pictures Entertainment Notice Letter State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General December 8, 2014 December 20, 2014 February 12, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150212152543/http://oag.ca.gov/system/files/12%2008%2014%20letter_0.pdf live https://time.com/3633385/sony-hack-emails-media/ Sony Asks Media to Stop Covering Hacked Emails Time December 16, 2014 December 17, 2014 Nolan Feeney July 23, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160723035244/http://time.com/3633385/sony-hack-emails-media/ live https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/17/sony-hack-the-interview/20519545/ Experts: Sony hackers 'have crossed the line' USA Today December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 Weise Elizabeth December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217080857/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/17/sony-hack-the-interview/20519545/ live United States intelligence officials, after evaluating the software, techniques, and network sources used in the hack, concluded that the attack was sponsored by the government of North Korea, which has since denied all responsibility. Hack and perpetrators The exact duration of the hack remains unknown. U.S. investigators said the attackers spent at least two months copying files, while an individual claiming involvement asserted access for up to a year before the breach was discovered in November 2014.Sanger David E. Fackler Martin N.S.A. Breached North Korean Networks Before Sony Attack, Officials Say https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/world/asia/nsa-tapped-into-north-korean-networks-before-sony-attack-officials-say.html 23 March 2023 The New York Times 19 January 2015 March 13, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170313052850/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/world/asia/nsa-tapped-into-north-korean-networks-before-sony-attack-officials-say.html live Zetter Kim December 3, 2014 Sony Got Hacked Hard: What We Know and Don't Know So Far https://www.wired.com/2014/12/sony-hack-what-we-know/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20150107001522/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/sony-hack-what-we-know January 7, 2015 January 4, 2015 Wired The hackers claimed to have taken more than 100 terabytes of data, though this has not been independently verified.Cook James December 16, 2014 Sony Hackers Have Over 100 Terabytes Of Documents. Only Released 200 Gigabytes So Far http://www.businessinsider.com/the-sony-hackers-still-have-a-massive-amount-of-data-that-hasnt-been-leaked-yet-2014-12 live https://web.archive.org/web/20141217204735/http://www.businessinsider.com/the-sony-hackers-still-have-a-massive-amount-of-data-that-hasnt-been-leaked-yet-2014-12 December 17, 2014 December 18, 2014 Business Insider The attack involved malware and tools designed to gain persistent access, exfiltrate data, and destroy systems. U.S. cybersecurity officials reported that similar tools had been used in attacks against a major entertainment company, indicating an intent to steal information, cause damage, and erase evidence.Lennon Mike 2014 Hackers Used Sophisticated SMB Worm Tool to Attack Sony https://www.securityweek.com/hackers-used-sophisticated-smb-worm-tool-attack-sony/Lennon Mike December 19, 2014 Hackers Used Sophisticated SMB Worm Tool to Attack Sony http://www.securityweek.com/hackers-used-sophisticated-smb-worm-tool-attack-sony live https://web.archive.org/web/20141220134150/http://www.securityweek.com/hackers-used-sophisticated-smb-worm-tool-attack-sony December 20, 2014 February 29, 2016 SecurityWeekPalilery Jose December 24, 2014 What caused Sony hack: What we know now https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/24/technology/security/sony-hack-facts/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150104195455/https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/24/technology/security/sony-hack-facts/ January 4, 2015 January 4, 2015 CNNMoney Sony was made aware of the hack on Monday, November 24, 2014, as the malware previously installed rendered many Sony employees' computers inoperable by the software, with the warning by a group calling themselves the Guardians of Peace, along with a portion of the confidential data taken during the hack. Several Sony-related Twitter accounts were also taken over. This followed a message that several Sony Pictures executives had received via email on the previous Friday, November 21; the message, coming from a group called "God'sApstls" , demanded "monetary compensation" or otherwise, "Sony Pictures will be bombarded as a whole". https://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2015/02/sony-hacking-seth-rogen-evan-goldberg An Exclusive Look at Sony's Hacking Saga Mark Seal February 4, 2015 February 4, 2015 Vanity Fair February 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150204152940/http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/2015/02/sony-hacking-seth-rogen-evan-goldberg live This email message had been mostly ignored by executives, lost in the volume they had received or treated as spam email. In addition to the activation of the malware on November 24, the message included a warning for Sony to decide on their course of action by 11:00p.m. UTC that evening, although no apparent threat was made when that deadline passed. In the days following this hack, the Guardians of Peace began leaking yet-unreleased films and started to release portions of the confidential data to attract the attention of social media sites, although they did not specify what they wanted in return. Sony quickly organized internal teams to try to manage the loss of data to the Internet, and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the private security firm FireEye to help protect Sony employees whose personal data was exposed by the hack, repair the damaged computer infrastructure and trace the source of the leak. The first public report concerning a North Korean link to the attack was published by Re/code on November 28 and later confirmed by NBC News. http://recode.net/2014/11/28/sony-pictures-investigates-north-korea-link-in-hack-attack/ Sony Pictures Investigates North Korea Link In Hack Attack Arik Hesseldahl November 28, 2014 Feb 1, 2016 Recode January 27, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160127045216/http://recode.net/2014/11/28/sony-pictures-investigates-north-korea-link-in-hack-attack/ live right 25em This is absurd. Yet it is exactly the kind of behavior we have come to expect from a regime that threatened to take 'merciless countermeasures' against the U.S. over a Hollywood comedy, and has no qualms about holding tens of thousands of people in harrowing gulags. —U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha PowerYoon Sanwon 2014-12-22 Sony attacks denounced at UN as China fails to shield Kim https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-12-22/sony-attack-denounced-at-un-as-china-fails-to-shield-north-korea 2026-02-09 Bloomberg December 22, 2014https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-22/sony-attack-denounced-at-un-as-china-fails-to-shield-north-korea U.S. Denounces North Korea at UN Bloomberg Sangwon Yoon December 22, 2014 December 22, 2014 December 25, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141225230350/http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-12-22/sony-attack-denounced-at-un-as-china-fails-to-shield-north-korea live On December 8, 2014, alongside the eighth large data dump of confidential information, the Guardians of Peace threatened Sony with language relating to the September 11 attacks that drew the attention of U.S. security agencies. North Korean state-sponsored hackers are suspected by the United States of being involved in part due to specific threats made toward Sony and movie theaters showing The Interview, a comedy film about an assassination attempt against Kim Jong Un.Child Ben Hackers demand Sony cancel release of Kim Jong-un-baiting comedy https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/09/hackers-demand-sony-cancel-kim-jong-un-film-the-interview 23 March 2023 The Guardian 9 December 2014 December 21, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161221120726/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/09/hackers-demand-sony-cancel-kim-jong-un-film-the-interview live North Korean officials had previously expressed concerns about the film to the United Nations, stating that "to allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent head of a sovereign state should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war." https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/10/north-korea-un-the-interview-seth-rogen-james-franco North Korea complains to UN about Seth Rogen comedy The Interview Ben Beaumont-Thomas July 10, 2014 December 18, 2014 The Guardian July 30, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140730031714/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/10/north-korea-un-the-interview-seth-rogen-james-franco live In its first quarter financials for 2015, Sony Pictures set aside $15 million to deal with ongoing damages from the hack. https://time.com/3695118/sony-hack-the-interview-costs/ Sony Is Spending $15 Million to Deal With the Big Hack Sam Frizell February 4, 2015 February 4, 2015 Time February 6, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150206132252/http://time.com/3695118/sony-hack-the-interview-costs/ live Sony bolstered its cyber-security infrastructure as a result, using solutions to prevent similar hacks or data loss in the future. Sony co-chairperson Amy Pascal announced in the wake of the hack that she would step down effective May 2015, and instead would become more involved with film production under Sony. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/business/amy-pascal-leaving-as-sony-studio-chief.html Amy Pascal Leaving as Sony Studio Chief Michael Cieply Brooks Barnes New York Times February 5, 2015 February 5, 2015 August 21, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200821212132/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/business/amy-pascal-leaving-as-sony-studio-chief.html live Information obtained In a notice dated December 8, 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) informed employees that, as of December 1, it had learned that unauthorized individuals may have accessed personally identifiable information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and financial details, during a cyberattack.http://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-47706 Submitted Breach Notification Sample, Sony Pictures Entertainment Notice Letter State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General December 8, 2014 December 20, 2014 December 20, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220190448/http://oag.ca.gov/ecrime/databreach/reports/sb24-47706 live On December 7, 2014, C-SPAN reported that the hackers stole 47,000 unique Social Security numbers from the SPE computer network. http://www.c-span.org/video/?323103-4%2Fwashington-journal-cory-bennett-hacking-cyber-threats Washington Journal – Hacking and Cybersecurity Threats C-SPAN December 7, 2014 December 22, 2014 December 22, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222095557/http://www.c-span.org/video/?323103-4%2Fwashington-journal-cory-bennett-hacking-cyber-threats live Although personal data may have been stolen, early news reports focused mainly on celebrity gossip and embarrassing details about Hollywood and film industry business affairs gleaned by the media from electronic files, including private email messages. Among the information revealed in the emails was that Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai pressured Sony Pictures co-chairwoman Amy Pascal to "soften" the assassination scene in The Interview.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/world/sonys-international-incident-making-kims-head-explode.html?_r=0 Sony's International Incident: Making Kim Jong-un's Head Explode The New York Times December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 Fackler, Martin December 7, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151207140526/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/world/sonys-international-incident-making-kims-head-explode.html?_r=0 live Many details relating to the actions of the Sony Pictures executives, including Pascal and Michael Lynton, were also released, in a manner that appeared to be intended to spur distrust between these executives and other employees of Sony. Other emails released in the hack showed Pascal and Scott Rudin, a film and theatrical producer, discussing Angelina Jolie. In the emails, Rudin referred to Jolie as "a minimally talented spoiled brat" because Jolie wanted David Fincher to direct her film Cleopatra, which Rudin felt would interfere with Fincher directing a planned film about Steve Jobs.Stedman Alex Variety Leaked Sony Emails Reveal Nasty Exchanges and Insults https://variety.com/2014/film/news/leaked-sony-emails-reveal-nasty-exchanges-and-insults-1201375511/ December 9, 2014 March 3, 2015 February 26, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150226232815/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/leaked-sony-emails-reveal-nasty-exchanges-and-insults-1201375511/ live Pascal and Rudin were also noted to have had an email exchange about Pascal's upcoming encounter with Barack Obama that included characterizations described as racist, which led to Pascal's resignation from Sony.Fleming Mike Jr. Scott Rudin Apologizes After Leak Of Sony's Hacked Racially Insensitive E-Mails On Barack Obama https://deadline.com/2014/12/scott-rudin-apology-sony-hacking-barack-obama-1201320321 23 March 2023 Deadline 11 December 2014 May 6, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200506163742/https://deadline.com/2014/12/scott-rudin-apology-sony-hacking-barack-obama-1201320321/ dead Sony's Amy Pascal Apologizes for Obama Emails https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sonys-amy-pascal-apologizes-for-obama-emails-not-who-i-am-1201377177/ Variety 23 March 2023 11 December 2014 August 10, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200810194510/https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sonys-amy-pascal-apologizes-for-obama-emails-not-who-i-am-1201377177/ live Christopher Rosen, Scott Rudin & Amy Pascal Apologize After Racially Insensitive Emails About Obama Leak https://web.archive.org/web/20170222090621/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/11/scott-rudin-amy-pascal-apology_n_6310040.html February 22, 2017 , The Huffington Post, December 11, 2014https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/amy-pascal-leaving-sony-pictures-email-leak Amy Pascal steps down from Sony Pictures in wake of damaging email hack Rushe Dominic 2015-02-05 The Guardian 2017-10-15 en-GB 0261-3077 October 24, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211024201313/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/05/amy-pascal-leaving-sony-pictures-email-leak live The two had suggested they should mention films about African-Americans upon meeting the president, such as Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave and The Butler, all of which depict slavery in the United States or the pre-civil rights era. Pascal and Rudin later apologized. Details of lobbying efforts by politician Mike Moore on behalf of the Digital Citizens Alliance and FairSearch against Google were also revealed.Wingfield Nick Google's Detractors Take Their Fight to the States The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/technology/googles-critics-enlist-state-attorneys-general-in-their-fight.html?_r=1 1 January 2015 December 16, 2014 August 15, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170815025230/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/technology/googles-critics-enlist-state-attorneys-general-in-their-fight.html?_r=1 live The leak revealed multiple details of behind-the-scenes politics on Columbia Pictures' current Spider-Man film series, including emails between Pascal and others to various heads of Marvel Studios.Fritz Ben December 9, 2014 https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/12/09/sony-marvel-discussed-spider-man-movie-crossover/ Sony, Marvel Discussed Spider-Man Movie Crossover The Wall Street Journal December 18, 2014 December 10, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141210035701/https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/12/09/sony-marvel-discussed-spider-man-movie-crossover/ live Due to the outcry from fans, the Spider-Man license was eventually negotiated to be shared between both studios. In addition to the emails, a copy of the screenplay for the James Bond film Spectre, released in 2015, was obtained. Several future Sony Pictures films, including Annie, Mr. Turner, Still Alice, the now cancelled Popeye movie, and To Write Love on Her Arms, were also leaked.https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/04/north-korea-denies-hacking-sony-pictures-cyber-attack-movies North Korea denies hacking Sony Pictures Justin McCurry the Guardian December 4, 2014 December 17, 2014 December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218083138/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/04/north-korea-denies-hacking-sony-pictures-cyber-attack-movies liveHackers who targeted Sony invoke 9/11 attacks in warning to moviegoers Dominic Rushe 17 December 2014 https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/16/employees-sue-failure-guard-personal-data-leaked-hackers December 17, 2014 The Guardian December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217042527/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/16/employees-sue-failure-guard-personal-data-leaked-hackers live Sony's New Movies Leak Online Following Hack Attack https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sonys-new-movies-leak-online-following-hack-attack-n258511 NBC News December 1, 2014 1 December 2014 December 2, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141202203232/http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/sonys-new-movies-leak-online-following-hack-attack-n258511 liveBeck Jerry Hacked sony email about Genndy’s "Popeye" found on Wikileaks https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/hacked-sony-email-about-genndys-popeye-found-on-wikileaks-123423/ IndieWire 3 June 2026 17 April 2015 The hackers intended to release additional information on December 25, 2014,https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/15/sony-hack-fbi-guardians-of-peace-meeting-christmas-hack/20364841/ Sony fights hack damage as new threats emerge USA Today December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 Weise, Elizabeth December 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141215215902/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/15/sony-hack-fbi-guardians-of-peace-meeting-christmas-hack/20364841/ live which coincided with the release date of The Interview in the United States. WikipediaAccording to The Daily Dot, based on the email leaks, while he was at Sony, executive Charles Sipkins was responsible for following senior executives' orders to edit Wikipedia articles about them.Sony executives ordered edits to Wikipedia pages Simon Owens The Daily Dot April 23, 2015 http://www.dailydot.com/business/sony-wikipedia-edits/ September 14, 2015 September 5, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150905112736/http://www.dailydot.com/business/sony-wikipedia-edits/ live In December 2014, former Sony Pictures Entertainment employees filed four lawsuits against the company for not protecting their data that was released in the hack, which included Social Security numbers and medical information.http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/20/us/sony-pictures-lawsuits/ Lawsuits say Sony Pictures should have expected security breach cnn.com December 20, 2014 December 21, 2014 Ellis, Ralph December 21, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141221223307/http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/20/us/sony-pictures-lawsuits/ live As part of the emails, it was revealed that Sony was in talks with Nintendo to make an animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. franchise.Leaked Emails Show Sony and Nintendo Discussing Mario Movie GameSpot December 12, 2014 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/leaked-emails-show-sony-and-nintendo-discussing-ma/1100-6424175/ Eddie Makuch December 8, 2016 February 1, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170201181843/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/leaked-emails-show-sony-and-nintendo-discussing-ma/1100-6424175/ liveVary Adam Sony Pictures Lands "Mario Bros." Movie Rights From Nintendo, Leaked Emails Show https://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/sony-nintendo-mario-bros-movie#.duwkpjZgV June 24, 2018 BuzzFeed December 11, 2014 December 12, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141212093710/http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/sony-nintendo-mario-bros-movie#.duwkpjZgV live In January 2015, details were revealed of the MPAA's lobbying of the United States International Trade Commission to mandate U.S. Internet service providers, either at the internet transit level or consumer level internet service provider, to implement IP address blocking of pirate websites as well as linking websites.Brandom Russell 2 January 2015 The MPAA has a new plan to stop copyright violations at the border https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/2/7481409/the-mpaa-has-a-new-plan-to-stop-copyright-violations-at-the-border The Verge 4 January 2015 January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150103171242/http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/2/7481409/the-mpaa-has-a-new-plan-to-stop-copyright-violations-at-the-border live WikiLeaks republished over 30,000 documents that were obtained via the hack in April 2015, with founder Julian Assange stating that the document archive "shows the inner workings of an influential multinational corporation" that should be made public. https://variety.com/2015/film/news/wikileaks-sony-hack-1201473964/ WikiLeaks Publishes Thousands of Hacked Sony Documents Brent Lang April 16, 2015 April 16, 2015 Variety April 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150419020215/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/wikileaks-sony-hack-1201473964/ live Sony condemned the WikiLeaks publication and their attorneys responded by saying it "indiscriminately" disseminated stolen data, and that this "conduct rewards a totalitarian regime seeking to silence dissident speech". The lawyers also said that "WikiLeaks is incorrect that this Stolen Information belongs in the public domain".Fleming Mike Jr. 2015-04-18 Sony Attorney David Boies Warns Media After WikiLeaks Hacked E-Mail Rehash https://deadline.com/2015/04/sony-hacking-david-boies-wikileaks-julian-assange-legal-letter-emails-1201412130/ 2023-09-09 Deadline en-USBoies David April 17, 2015 RE Privileged and or Confidential Information Stolen From Sony Pictures Entertainment https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-04-17-boies-letter-wm.pdf Deadline September 9, 2023 October 13, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231013201409/https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/2015-04-17-boies-letter-wm.pdf live Sony Pictures slams WikiLeaks over hacked data release – DW – 04/17/2015 https://www.dw.com/en/sony-pictures-slams-wikileaks-over-release-of-hacked-data/a-18389072 2023-09-09 dw.com en2015-04-16 Sony Pictures condemns WikiLeaks' release of hacked material https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-wikileaks-sony-hack-20150416-story.html 2023-09-09 Los Angeles Times en-US March 28, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200328011559/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-wikileaks-sony-hack-20150416-story.html live In November 2015, after Charlie Sheen publicly announced in a television interview that he was diagnosed with HIV, it was revealed that Sony executives were aware of the diagnosis as early as March 10, 2014, even though he never told them about it.https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sony-hack-disclose-charlie-sheens-6847091 Did Sony hack disclose Charlie Sheen's HIV status in email nearly TWO years ago? Claire Rutter November 17, 2015 mirror April 5, 2018 January 11, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180111212715/http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sony-hack-disclose-charlie-sheens-6847091 livehttp://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/charlie-sheen-hiv-positive-sony-hack-email-discussed-open-secret/ Charlie Sheen HIV Positive — Sony Hack Email Discussed Open Secret - Radar Online November 16, 2015 Radar Online November 18, 2015 November 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151119044644/http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/charlie-sheen-hiv-positive-sony-hack-email-discussed-open-secret/ live In December, Snap Inc., due to the hack, was revealed to have acquired Vergence Labs for $15 million in cash and stock, the developers of Epiphany Eyewear, and mobile app Scan for $150 million.http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-acquires-vergence-labs-2014-12 It Looks Like Snapchat Paid $15 Million To Buy A Google Glass-Like Startup Yarow Jay December 16, 2015 Business Insider Shontell Alyson Cook James November 14, 2016 November 19, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161119034830/http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-acquires-vergence-labs-2014-12 livehttps://techcrunch.com/2014/12/16/snapchat-emails-not-so-ephemeral/ Snapchat Plans Music Feature, Acquired QR Scan.me For $50M And Vergence Eyeglass Cam For $15M Constine Josh December 16, 2014 TechCrunch November 15, 2016 AOL November 16, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161116101622/https://techcrunch.com/2014/12/16/snapchat-emails-not-so-ephemeral/ live Threats surrounding The Interview On December 16, for the first time since the hack, the Guardians of Peace mentioned the then-upcoming film The Interview by name, and threatened to take terrorist actions against the film's New York City premiere at Sunshine Cinema on December 18, as well as on its U.S.-wide release date, set for December 25. Sony pulled the theatrical release the following day. We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places The Interview be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you'd better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/17/exclusive-sony-emails-allege-u-s-govt-official-ok-d-controversial-ending-to-the-interview.html Exclusive: Sony Emails Say State Department Blessed Kim Jong-Un Assassination in 'The Interview' The Daily Beast December 17, 2014 December 19, 2014 Boot, William December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217180144/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/17/exclusive-sony-emails-allege-u-s-govt-official-ok-d-controversial-ending-to-the-interview.html live Seth Rogen and James Franco, the stars of The Interview, responded by saying they did not know if it was definitely caused by the film, https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/seth-rogen-james-franco-address-sony-hack/story?id=27609120 Seth Rogen and James Franco Address the Sony Hack ABC News December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141215185612/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/seth-rogen-james-franco-address-sony-hack/story?id=27609120 live but later canceled all media appearances tied to the film outside of the planned New York City premiere on December 16, 2014. https://variety.com/2014/film/news/seth-rogen-and-james-franco-cancel-all-media-appearances-for-the-interview-1201380917/ Seth Rogen and James Franco Cancel All Media Appearances for 'The Interview' Alex Stedman December 16, 2014 December 16, 2014 Variety December 16, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141216230918/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/seth-rogen-and-james-franco-cancel-all-media-appearances-for-the-interview-1201380917/ live Following initial threats made towards theaters that would show The Interview, several theatrical chains, including Carmike Cinemas, Bow Tie Cinemas, Regal Entertainment Group, Showcase Cinemas, AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, as well as several independent movie theater owners announced that they would not screen The Interview.https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-hack-carmike-cinemas-drops-758444 Sony Hack: Carmike Cinemas Drops 'The Interview' The Hollywood Reporter December 16, 2014 December 17, 2014 Kilday Gregg December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217025743/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-hack-carmike-cinemas-drops-758444 live https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/17/sony-hack-the-interview/20519545/ Second theater chain pulls "The Interview" after hacker threats USA Today December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 Weise Elizabeth December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217080857/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/12/17/sony-hack-the-interview/20519545/ live Kilday Gregg Top Five Theater Circuits Drop 'The Interview' After Sony Hack https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/source-top-five-theater-circuits-758843 December 17, 2014 The Hollywood Reporter December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141217215100/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/source-top-five-theater-circuits-758843 live The same day, Sony stated that they would allow theaters to opt out of showing The Interview, but later decided to fully pull the national December 25 release of the film, as well as announce that there were "no further release plans" to release the film on any platform, including home video, in the foreseeable future. https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/sony-cancels-interview-new-york-premiere-amid-terror-threats-20141217 Sony Cancels 'Interview' New York Premiere Amid Terror Threats Rolling Stone December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 Kory Grow December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218111751/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/sony-cancels-interview-new-york-premiere-amid-terror-threats-20141217 live https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-cancels-theatrical-release-for-the-interview-on-christmas-1201382032/ Sony Cancels Theatrical Release for 'The Interview' on Christmas Variety December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 Brent Lang December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218000412/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-cancels-theatrical-release-for-the-interview-on-christmas-1201382032/ live Variety December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-has-no-further-release-plans-for-the-interview-1201382167/ Sony Has 'No Further Release Plans' for 'The Interview' Dave McNary December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218054525/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-has-no-further-release-plans-for-the-interview-1201382167/ live On December 18, two messages (both allegedly from the Guardians of Peace) were released. One, sent in a private message to Sony executives, stated that they would not release any further information if Sony never releases the film and removed its presence from the internet. The other, posted to Pastebin, a web application used for text storage that the Guardians of Peace had used for previous messages, stated that the studio had "suffered enough" and could release The Interview, but only if Kim Jong Un's death scene was not "too happy". The post also stated that the company cannot "test [them] again", and that "if [Sony Pictures] makes anything else, [they] will be here ready to fight".Weise Elizabeth Johnson Kevin FBI confirms North Korea behind Sony hack https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/12/19/sony-the-interview-hackers-gop/20635449/ USA Today December 19, 2014 December 19, 2014 December 19, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141219204906/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/12/19/sony-the-interview-hackers-gop/20635449/ live President Barack Obama, in an end-of-year press speech on December 19, commented on the Sony hacking and stated that he felt Sony made a mistake in pulling the film, and that producers should "not get into a pattern where you are intimidated by these acts". https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30548747 US President Barack Obama holds last news briefing of 2014 BBC December 19, 2014 December 19, 2014 January 13, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150113135804/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30548747 live He also said, "We will respond proportionally and we will respond in a place and time and manner that we choose."Obama pledges proportional response to Sony hack https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-obama-pledges-proportional-response-to-sony-hack-2014dec19-story.html 23 March 2023 San Diego Union-Tribune Associated Press 19 December 2014 March 23, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230323170934/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-obama-pledges-proportional-response-to-sony-hack-2014dec19-story.html live In response to President Obama's statement, Sony Entertainment's CEO Michael Lynton said on the CNN program Anderson Cooper 360 that the public, the press and the President misunderstood the events. Lynton said the decision to cancel the wide release was in response to a majority of theaters pulling their showings and not to the hackers' threats. Lynton stated that they would seek other options to distribute the film in the future, and noted "We have not given in. And we have not backed down. We have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie." Pallotta Frank December 19, 2014 https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/ Sony exec fires back at President Obama CNN Money December 19, 2014 December 20, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220111137/http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/19/media/sony-executive-michael-lynton-responds-to-president-obama/ dead https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30559169 Sony 'will not drop' North Korea film The Interview BBC December 19, 2014 December 19, 2014 December 20, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220040032/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30559169 live On December 23, Sony opted to authorize approximately 300 mostly-independent theaters to show The Interview on Christmas Day, as the four major theater chains had yet to change their earlier decision not to show the film. Shaw Lucas December 23, 2014 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-23/sony-to-release-the-interview-on-dec-25-theaters-say.html Sony to Release The Interview in More Than 300 Theaters on Christmas Day Bloomberg December 26, 2014 December 25, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141225220539/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-23/sony-to-release-the-interview-on-dec-25-theaters-say.html live "The Interview: Obama hails move to screen North Korea film." https://web.archive.org/web/20180806040003/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30594820 August 6, 2018 BBC. Retrieved December 24, 2014. The FBI worked with these theaters to detail the specifics of the prior threats and how to manage security for the showings, but noted that there was no actionable intelligence on the prior threats. http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/politics/sony-hack-fbi-warning/ FBI reaching out to theaters screening 'The Interview' Pamela Brown December 24, 2014 December 29, 2014 CNN December 29, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141229230339/http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/politics/sony-hack-fbi-warning/ live Sony's Lynton stated on the announcement that "we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech".Coyle Jake December 23, 2014 Sony announces limited release of 'The Interview' https://www.pressherald.com/2014/12/23/select-u-s-theaters-say-theyll-show-the-interview/ December 29, 2014 Portland Press Herald The Interview was also released to Google Play, Xbox Video, and YouTube on December 24.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-cybersecurity-youtube-idUSKBN0K210520141224 Sony releases 'The Interview' on Youtube, other Internet channels Reuters 24 December 2014 24 December 2014 Kelsey, Eric August 17, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210817111455/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-cybersecurity-youtube-idUSKBN0K210520141224 live No incidents predicated by the threats occurred with the release, and instead, the unorthodox release of the film led to it being considered a success due to increased interest in the film following the attention it had received. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-interview-20141229-story.html 'The Interview' finds its audience at indie theaters, online Los Angeles Times December 28, 2014 December 29, 2014 Saba Hamedy December 29, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141229173013/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-interview-20141229-story.html live On December 27, the North Korean National Defence Commission released a statement accusing Obama of being "the chief culprit who forced the Sony Pictures Entertainment to indiscriminately distribute the movie."North Korea berates Obama over The Interview release https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30608179 BBC News December 27, 2014 December 30, 2014 December 28, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141228161521/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30608179 live U.S. accusations and formal charges against North Korea U.S. government officials stated on December 17, 2014 their belief that the North Korean government was "centrally involved" in the hacking, although there was initially some debate within the White House whether or not to make this finding public.U.S. Links North Korea to Sony Hacking https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/us-links-north-korea-to-sony-hacking.html?_r=0 December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 The New York Times David E. Sanger Nicole Perlroth January 8, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220108004407/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/us-links-north-korea-to-sony-hacking.html?_r=0 live White House officials treated the situation as a "serious national security matter", http://news-briefs.ew.com/2014/12/18/white-house-sony-interview-north-korea/ White House is treating Sony hack as 'serious national security matter' Entertainment Weekly December 18, 2014 December 18, 2014 Ariana Bacle December 19, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141219014031/http://news-briefs.ew.com/2014/12/18/white-house-sony-interview-north-korea/ live and the FBI formally stated on December 19 that they connected the North Korean government to the cyber-attacks. https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/update-on-sony-investigation FBI — Update on Sony Investigation December 19, 2014 December 22, 2014 FBI March 5, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220305200147/https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/update-on-sony-investigation live Including undisclosed evidence, these claims were made based on the use of similar malicious hacking tools and techniques previously employed by North Korean hackers—including North Korea's cyberwarfare agency Bureau 121 on South Korean targets.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/19/north-korea-responsible-sony-hack-us-official Sony cyber attack linked to North Korean government hackers, FBI says The Guardian 19 December 2014 19 December 2014 Oliver Laughland Dominic Rushe August 27, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160827080926/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/19/north-korea-responsible-sony-hack-us-official live According to the FBI: https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/update-on-sony-investigation Update on Sony Investigation December 19, 2014 December 19, 2014 Federal Bureau of Investigation March 5, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220305200147/https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/update-on-sony-investigation live "[A] technical analysis of the data deletion malware used in this attack revealed links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korea previously developed. For example, there were similarities in specific lines of code, encryption algorithms, data deletion methods, and compromised networks. "The FBI also observed significant overlap between the infrastructure used in this attack and other malicious cyber activity the U.S. government has previously linked directly to North Korea. For example, the FBI discovered that several Internet protocol (IP) addresses associated with known North Korean infrastructure communicated with IP addresses that were hardcoded into the data deletion malware used in this attack. The FBI later clarified that the source IP addresses were associated with a group of North Korean businesses located in Shenyang in northeastern China. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/world/asia/nsa-tapped-into-north-korean-networks-before-sony-attack-officials-say.html N.S.A. Tapped Into North Korean Networks Before Sony Attack, Officials Say New York Times January 18, 2015 January 19, 2015 David E. Sanger Martin Fackler January 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150119122905/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/world/asia/nsa-tapped-into-north-korean-networks-before-sony-attack-officials-say.html live "Separately, the tools used in the SPE attack have similarities to a cyber-attack in March of last year against South Korean banks and media outlets, which was carried out by North Korea." The FBI later clarified more details of the attacks, attributing them to North Korea by noting that the hackers were "sloppy" with the use of proxy IP addresses that originated from within North Korea. At one point the hackers logged into the Guardians of Peace Facebook account and Sony's servers without effective concealment.Schmidt Michael S. Perlroth Nicole Goldstein Matthew F.B.I. Says Little Doubt North Korea Hit Sony https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/business/chief-says-fbi-has-no-doubt-that-north-korea-attacked-sony.html 23 March 2023 The New York Times 7 January 2015 subscription July 5, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170705073223/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/business/chief-says-fbi-has-no-doubt-that-north-korea-attacked-sony.html live FBI Director James Comey stated that Internet access is tightly controlled within North Korea, and as such, it was unlikely that a third party had hijacked these addresses without allowance from the North Korean government. https://www.theverge.com/2015/1/7/7507981/fbi-director-comey-reveals-new-details-on-the-sony-hack FBI Director Comey reveals new details on the Sony hack Russell Brandom January 7, 2015 January 7, 2015 The Verge January 7, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150107185518/http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/7/7507981/fbi-director-comey-reveals-new-details-on-the-sony-hack live Scannell Kara FBI details North Korean attack on Sony https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/08/fbi-details-north-korean-attack-on-sony.html 23 March 2023 CNBC 8 January 2015 en November 15, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221115040937/https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/08/fbi-details-north-korean-attack-on-sony.html live The National Security Agency assisted the FBI in analyzing the attack, specifically in reviewing the malware and tracing its origins; NSA director Admiral Michael S. Rogers agreed with the FBI that the attack originated from North Korea. https://time.com/3660757/nsa-michael-rogers-sony-hack/ NSA Director on Sony Hack: 'The Entire World is Watching' Sam Frizeel January 8, 2015 January 9, 2015 Time January 9, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150109003344/http://time.com/3660757/nsa-michael-rogers-sony-hack/ live A disclosed NSA report published by Der Spiegel stated that the agency had become aware of the origins of the hack due to their own cyber-intrusion on North Korea's network that they had set up in 2010, following concerns of the technology maturation of the country. The North Korean news agency KCNA denied the "wild rumours" of North Korean involvement, but said that "The hacking into the SONY Pictures might be a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathizers with the DPRK in response to its appeal." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30538154 Sony hack: White House views attack as security issue BBC December 18, 2014 December 18, 2014 December 19, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141219001321/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30538154 live https://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-hack-bond-producers-say-spectre-screenplay-among-stolen-material-1201379203/ Sony Hack: Bond Producers Say 'Spectre' Screenplay Among Stolen Material Variety December 14, 2014 December 15, 2014 Stedman, Alex December 16, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141216061251/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-hack-bond-producers-say-spectre-screenplay-among-stolen-material-1201379203/ live http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2014/201412/news07/20141207-12ee.html Spokesman of Policy Department of NDC Blasts S. Korean Authorities' False Rumor about DPRK 7 December 2014 Korea News Service January 1, 2015 November 24, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191124024952/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2014/201412/news07/20141207-12ee.html dead North Korea offered to be part of a joint probe with the United States to determine the hackers' identities, threatening consequences if the United States refused to collaborate and continued the allegation. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30560712 North Korea seeks joint probe with US on Sony hack December 20, 2014 December 20, 2014 BBC December 20, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220155508/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30560712 live https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/20/north-korea-proposes-joint-inquiry-us-sony-pictures-hack North Korea demands joint inquiry with US into Sony Pictures hack December 20, 2014 December 20, 2014 The Guardian December 20, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141220145928/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/20/north-korea-proposes-joint-inquiry-us-sony-pictures-hack live The U.S. refused and asked China for investigative assistance instead.Makinen, Julie (December 20, 2014). "North Korea decries U.S. allegations on Sony hack; U.S. turns to China." https://web.archive.org/web/20200507063300/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-north-korea-proposes-joint-investigation-into-sony-hack-20141220-story.html May 7, 2020 Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2014. Some days after the FBI's announcement, North Korea temporarily suffered a nationwide Internet outage, which the country claimed to be the United States' response to the hacking attempts. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sony-hack/north-korea-insults-obama-blames-u-s-internet-outages-n275401 North Korea Insults Obama, Blames U.S. For Internet Outages NBC News December 26, 2014 December 29, 2014 Phil Helsel December 28, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141228215952/http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sony-hack/north-korea-insults-obama-blames-u-s-internet-outages-n275401 live On the day following the FBI's accusation of North Korea's involvement, the FBI received an email purportedly from the hacking group, linking to a YouTube video entitled "you are an idiot!", apparently mocking the organization."Hackers 'mock' FBI investigation into Sony cyber attack." https://web.archive.org/web/20141221051749/http://www.itv.com/news/2014-12-20/sony-hackers-mock-fbi-investigation-into-cyber-attack/ December 21, 2014 ITV News. December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.Boot, William (December 20, 2014). "Sony Hackers Guardians of Peace Troll FBI, Anonymous Convinced Hack Didn't Come From North Korea." https://web.archive.org/web/20170518134519/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/20/sony-hackers-guardians-of-peace-troll-fbi-fbi-is-the-best-in-the-world.html May 18, 2017 The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 21, 2014.Gajewski, Ryan; Siegel, Tatiana (December 20, 2014). "Sony Hackers Appear to Mock FBI in Latest Message." https://web.archive.org/web/20200506163742/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-hackers-appear-mock-fbi-759738 May 6, 2020 The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 21, 2014. On December 19, 2014, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson released a statement saying, "The cyber attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment was not just an attack against a company and its employees. It was also an attack on our freedom of expression and way of life." He encouraged businesses and other organizations to use the Cybersecurity Framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to assess and limit cyber risks and protect against cyber threats. https://www.dhs.gov/news/2014/12/19/statement-secretary-johnson-cyber-attack-sony-pictures-entertainment Statement By Secretary Johnson On Cyber Attack On Sony Pictures Entertainment United States Department of Homeland Security December 19, 2014 December 24, 2014 December 24, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141224105343/http://www.dhs.gov/news/2014/12/19/statement-secretary-johnson-cyber-attack-sony-pictures-entertainment live On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry published his remarks condemning North Korea for the cyber-attack and threats against movie theaters and moviegoers. "This provocative and unprecedented attack and subsequent threats only strengthen our resolve to continue to work with partners around the world to strengthen cybersecurity, promote norms of acceptable state behavior, uphold freedom of expression, and ensure that the Internet remains open, interoperable, secure and reliable," he said. https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/12/235444.htm Condemning Cyber-Attack by North Korea United States Department of State December 19, 2014 December 24, 2014 January 21, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170121034658/https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/12/235444.htm live On January 2, 2015, the U.S., under an Executive Order issued by President Obama, installed additional economic sanctions on already-sanctioned North Korea for the hack, Lederman Josh January 5, 2015 January 2, 2015 http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/US-sanctions-North-Korea-over-Sony-cyberattack-5990422.php US slaps sanctions on North Korea after Sony hack San Francisco Chronicle Associated Press January 5, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150105011831/http://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/US-sanctions-North-Korea-over-Sony-cyberattack-5990422.php dead which North Korean officials called out as "groundlessly stirring up bad blood towards" the country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/04/north-korea-fury-us-sanctions-sony North Korea responds with fury to US sanctions over Sony hack The Guardian January 4, 2015 January 5, 2015 Haroon Siddique January 5, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150105053449/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/04/north-korea-fury-us-sanctions-sony live Doubts about accusations against North Korea Cyber security expert Kurt Stammberger from cyber security firm Norse,Kopan Tal U.S.: No alternate leads in Sony hack https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html 4 January 2015 29 December 2014 December 30, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141230194411/http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html liveNew evidence Sony hack was "inside job", not North Korea 30 December 2014 New York Post https://nypost.com/2014/12/30/new-evidence-sony-hack-was-inside-job-cyber-experts/ 4 January 2015 March 7, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180307120441/https://nypost.com/2014/12/30/new-evidence-sony-hack-was-inside-job-cyber-experts/ live DEFCON organizer and Cloudflare researcher Marc Rogers,Rogers Marc Why the Sony hack is unlikely to be the work of North Korea. December 18, 2014 http://marcrogers.org/2014/12/18/why-the-sony-hack-is-unlikely-to-be-the-work-of-north-korea/ January 4, 2015 May 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150514154530/http://marcrogers.org/2014/12/18/why-the-sony-hack-is-unlikely-to-be-the-work-of-north-korea/ live Hector Monsegur,Ex-Anonymous hacker questions North Korea's role in Sony hack https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sony-hack-former-anonymous-hacker-not-convinced-north-korea-is-responsible/ January 4, 2015 December 18, 2014 December 31, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141231081917/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sony-hack-former-anonymous-hacker-not-convinced-north-korea-is-responsible/ live and Kim Zetter, a security journalist at Wired magazine,Zetter Kim https://www.wired.com/2014/12/evidence-of-north-korea-hack-is-thin/ Evidence of North Korea hack is thin Wired January 4, 2015 January 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150104002703/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/evidence-of-north-korea-hack-is-thin/ live have expressed doubt and tended to agree that North Korea might not be behind the attack. Michael Hiltzik, a journalist for the Los Angeles Times, said that all evidence against North Korea was "circumstantial" and that some cybersecurity experts were "skeptical" about attributing the attack to the North Koreans.Hiltzik, Michael (December 19, 2014). "The Sony hack: What if it isn't North Korea?" https://web.archive.org/web/20160209210530/http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-the-sony-hack-20141219-column.html February 9, 2016 Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2014. Cybersecurity expert Lucas Zaichkowsky said, "State-sponsored attackers don't create cool names for themselves like 'Guardians of Peace' and promote their activity to the public."Mendoza, Martha (December 3, 2014). "Security experts doubt North Korea hacked into Sony; regime is angry over new Seth Rogen movie." https://web.archive.org/web/20141231203609/http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Security+experts+doubt+North+Korea+hacked+into+Sony+regime+angry+over/10434868/story.html December 31, 2014 Associated Press (Canada.com). Retrieved December 21, 2014. Kim Zetter of Wired magazine called released evidence against the government "flimsy".Zetter, Kim (December 17, 2014). "The Evidence That North Korea Hacked Sony Is Flimsy." https://web.archive.org/web/20170308194450/https://www.wired.com/2014/12/evidence-of-north-korea-hack-is-thin/ March 8, 2017 Wired. Retrieved December 21, 2014. Former hacker Hector Monsegur, who once hacked into Sony, explained to CBS News that exfiltrating one or one hundred terabytes of data "without anyone noticing" would have taken months or years, not weeks. Monsegur doubted the accusations due to North Korea's insufficient internet infrastructure to handle the transfer of that much data. He believed that it could have been either Chinese, Russian, or North Korean-sponsored hackers working outside of the country, but most likely to be the deed of a Sony employee.Hector Monsegur Hector Monsegur December 18, 2014 Former Anonymous hacker doubts North Korea behind Sony attack https://www.cbsnews.com/videos/former-anonymous-hacker-doubts-north-korea-behind-sony-attack/ Elaine Quijano CBS News December 21, 2014 December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218212306/http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/former-anonymous-hacker-doubts-north-korea-behind-sony-attack/ live Stammberger provided to the FBI Norse's findings that suggest the hack was an inside job, stating, "Sony was not just hacked; this is a company that was essentially nuked from the inside. We are very confident that this was not an attack master-minded by North Korea and that insiders were key to the implementation of one of the most devastating attacks in history.""Did the FBI get it wrong on North Korea?" https://web.archive.org/web/20200407190507/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-the-fbi-get-it-wrong-on-north-korea/ April 7, 2020 CBS News. December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2014. Stammberger believes that the security failure may have originated from six disgruntled former Sony employees, based on their past skill sets and discussions these people made in chat rooms. Norse employees identified these people from a list of workers that were eliminated from Sony during a restructuring in May 2014, and noted that some had made very public and angry responses to their firing, and would be in appropriate positions to identify the means to access secure parts of Sony's servers. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/30/sony-hack-researchers-claim-sacked-employees-could-be-to-blame Sony hack: sacked employees could be to blame, researchers claim Jemina Kiss December 30, 2014 December 30, 2014 The Guardian December 30, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141230222655/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/30/sony-hack-researchers-claim-sacked-employees-could-be-to-blame live Kopan Tal FBI briefed on alternate Sony hack theory https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html December 29, 2014 Politico December 30, 2014 December 30, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141230062520/http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-briefed-on-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113866.html live After a private briefing lasting three hours, the FBI formally rejected Norse's alternative assessment.Kopan Tal FBI rejects alternate Sony hack theory https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-rejects-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113893.html 23 March 2023 POLITICO 31 December 2014 en January 3, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150103055540/http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/fbi-rejects-alternate-sony-hack-theory-113893.html live Seth Rogen also expressed doubts about the claims that North Korea was behind the hack. Based on the timeline of events and the amount of information hacked, he believes the hack may have been conducted by a Sony employee. "I've also heard people say that they think someone was hired to do the hack as a way of getting Amy Pascal fired. I don't know if I subscribe to those theories, but I kind of don't think it was North Korea."https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/seth-rogen-north-korea-sony-hack Actually, Seth Rogen Doesn't Think North Korea Was Behind the Sony Hack Desta Yohana HWD April 30, 2018 en July 28, 2018 February 28, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210228004815/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/seth-rogen-north-korea-sony-hack live Other investigations In response to allegations that the intrusion was the result of an inside job, or something other than a state-sponsored cyber attack, computer forensic specialist Kevin Mandia, president of the security firm FireEye, commented that there was not a "shred of evidence" that an insider was responsible for the attack and that the evidence uncovered by his security firm supports the position of the United States government.Fried Ina Sony Hack Was Not an Inside Job, Says Security Expert Kevin Mandia https://www.vox.com/2015/4/21/11561700/sony-hack-was-not-an-inside-job-says-security-expert-kevin-mandia 23 March 2023 Vox 21 April 2015 en October 2, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221002164800/https://www.vox.com/2015/4/21/11561700/sony-hack-was-not-an-inside-job-says-security-expert-kevin-mandia live Hesseldahl Arik FireEye's Kevin Mandia Talks About the World After the Sony Hack (Full Video) https://www.vox.com/2015/4/30/11562068/fireeyes-kevin-mandia-talks-about-the-world-after-the-sony-hack-full 23 March 2023 Vox 30 April 2015 en December 6, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221206052153/https://www.vox.com/2015/4/30/11562068/fireeyes-kevin-mandia-talks-about-the-world-after-the-sony-hack-full live In February 2016, analytics firm Novetta issued a joint investigative report into the attack. The report, published in collaboration with Kaspersky Lab, Symantec, AlienVault, Invincea, Trend Micro, Carbon Black, PunchCyber, RiskIQ, ThreatConnect and Volexity, concluded that a well-resourced organization had committed the intrusion, and that "we strongly believe that the SPE attack was not the work of insiders or hacktivists". The analysis said that the same group is engaged in military espionage campaigns.Saarinen Juha North Korea linked to Sony hack attack: researchers https://www.itnews.com.au/news/north-korea-linked-to-sony-hack-attack-researchers-415603 23 March 2023 iTnews 25 February 2016 August 13, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220813095518/https://www.itnews.com.au/news/north-korea-linked-to-sony-hack-attack-researchers-415603 live Novetta Exposes Depth of Sony Pictures Attack https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2016/02/24/813652/37105/en/Novetta-Exposes-Depth-of-Sony-Pictures-Attack.html 23 March 2023 Novetta GlobeNewswire News Room 24 February 2016 McLean, VA en March 23, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230323170941/https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2016/02/24/813652/37105/en/Novetta-Exposes-Depth-of-Sony-Pictures-Attack.html live Collaborative Operation Blockbuster aims to send Lazarus back to the dead, symantec.com, February 24, 2016. Because of the depth and scope of malware tools, structure of the analyzed code bases, TTP overlap with similar attacks, and long trail of activities attributed to the Lazarus Group, Novetta does not believe that the SPE attack was carried out by insiders or hacktivists, but rather by a more structured, resourced, and motivated organization. ... Although our analysis cannot support direct attribution of a nation-state or other specific group due to the difficulty of proper attribution in the cyber realm, the FBI's official attribution claims could be supported by our findings.https://www.operationblockbuster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Operation-Blockbuster-Report.pdf Operation Blockbuster: Unrevealing the Long Thread of the Sony Attack February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20220707091904/https://www.operationblockbuster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Operation-Blockbuster-Report.pdf 7 July 2022 dead Formal charges The U.S. Department of Justice issued formal charges related to the Sony hack on North Korean citizen Park Jin-hyok on September 6, 2018. The Department of Justice contends that Park was a North Korean hacker that worked for the country's Reconnaissance General Bureau, the equivalent of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Department of Justice also asserted that Park was partially responsible for arranging the WannaCry ransomware attack of 2017, having developed part of the ransomware software. The Department of Justice had previously identified Park and had been monitoring him for some time, but could not indict him immediately as much of the information around him was classified. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/us/politics/north-korea-sony-hack-wannacry-indictment.html North Korean Spy to Be Charged in Sony Pictures Hacking David Sanger Katie Benner Adam Goldman September 6, 2018 September 6, 2018 The New York Times September 6, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180906154623/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/06/us/politics/north-korea-sony-hack-wannacry-indictment.html live The Criminal Complaint was unsealed by the US Department of Justice via a press release in September 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1092091 2018 09 06 Park Complaint Unsealed - Department of Justice May 22, 2020 July 19, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200719005604/https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1092091 live Legal responses Obama also issued a legislative proposal to Congress to update current laws such as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and introduce new ones to allow federal and national law enforcement officials to better respond to cybercrimes like the Sony hack, and to be able to prosecute such crimes compatibly to similar off-line crimes, while protecting the privacy of Americans. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/white-house-unveils-proposal-cybersecurity-763269 White House Unveils Proposal for Cybersecurity Legislation in Wake of Sony Hack The Hollywood Reporter January 13, 2015 January 13, 2015 Tina Daunt Georg Szalai January 20, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150120050654/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/white-house-unveils-proposal-cybersecurity-763269 live https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/13/securing-cyberspace-president-obama-announces-new-cybersecurity-legislat National Archives whitehouse.gov SECURING CYBERSPACE - President Obama Announces New Cybersecurity Legislative Proposal and Other Cybersecurity Efforts January 13, 2015 February 28, 2021 August 8, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190808131216/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/13/securing-cyberspace-president-obama-announces-new-cybersecurity-legislat live Public discussion About reporting on the hack In December 2014, Sony requested that the media stop covering the hack. Sony also threatened legal action if the media did not comply, but according to law professor Eugene Volokh, Sony's legal threats are "unlikely to prevail". https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/12/15/can-sony-sue-media-outlets-who-publish-the-stolen-sony-documents/ Volokh Eugene The Washington Post Can Sony sue media outlets who publish the stolen Sony documents? December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 December 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141215124045/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/12/15/can-sony-sue-media-outlets-who-publish-the-stolen-sony-documents/ live Sony then threatened legal action against Twitter if it did not suspend accounts of people who posted the hacked material.Isidore Chris Sony threatens Twitter with lawsuit over hack tweets https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/23/media/sony-twitter/ 23 March 2023 CNNMoney 23 December 2014 May 8, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200508122817/https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/23/media/sony-twitter/ dead American screenwriter Aaron Sorkin wrote an op-ed for The New York Times opining that the media was helping the hackers by publishing and reporting on the leaked information.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/opinion/aaron-sorkin-journalists-shouldnt-help-the-sony-hackers.html The Sony Hack and the Yellow Press The New York Times December 15, 2014 December 16, 2014 Sorkin Aaron December 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141215232220/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/opinion/aaron-sorkin-journalists-shouldnt-help-the-sony-hackers.html live On December 18, Reddit banned the subreddit r/SonyGOP that was being used to distribute the hacked files.Goldman David Reddit takes down Sony hack forum https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/17/technology/security/reddit-sony-hack-forum-ban/ CNNMoney 4 January 2015 December 29, 2014 January 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150104205335/https://money.cnn.com/2014/12/17/technology/security/reddit-sony-hack-forum-ban/ dead About pulling The Interview The threats made directly at Sony over The Interview were seen by many as a threat to free speech. The decision to pull the film was criticized by several Hollywood filmmakers, actors, and television hosts, including Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Rob Lowe, Jimmy Kimmel and Judd Apatow. Sinha-Roy Piya Hollywood slams Sony, movie theaters for canceling 'The Interview' https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sony-cybersecurity-hollywood-idUSKBN0JW08W20141218 Reuters Dec 17, 2014 December 18, 2014 September 24, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924211630/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/18/us-sony-cybersecurity-hollywood-idUSKBN0JW08W20141218 live Marcus Stephanie Celebrities React To Sony Canceling 'The Interview' Release https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/celebrities-react-the-interview-canceled_n_6344232.html The Huffington Post December 7, 2014 December 18, 2014 December 18, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141218111029/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/celebrities-react-the-interview-canceled_n_6344232.html live Some commentators contrasted the situation to the non-controversial release of the 2004 Team America: World Police, a film that mocked the leadership of North Korea's prior leader, Kim Jong Il. https://www.avclub.com/article/alamo-drafthouse-replaces-interview-team-america-w-213181 Alamo Drafthouse replaces The Interview with Team America: World Police—or not Katie Rife December 18, 2014 December 18, 2014 The A.V. Club December 19, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141219014315/http://www.avclub.com/article/alamo-drafthouse-replaces-interview-team-america-w-213181 live The Alamo Drafthouse was poised to replace showings of The Interview with Team America until the film's distributor Paramount Pictures ordered the theaters to stop. http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_27159719/paramount-tells-theaters-no-team-america Paramount tells theaters no 'Team America: World Police' Donovan Farnham December 18, 2014 December 18, 2014 San Jose Mercury News March 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230759/http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_27159719/paramount-tells-theaters-no-team-america live In light of the threats made to Sony over The Interview, New Regency cancelled its March 2015 production plans for a film adaptation of the graphic novel Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, which was set to star Steve Carell. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-carells-north-korea-thriller-758901 Steve Carell's North Korea Thriller Dropped After Sony Hack The Hollywood Reporter December 17, 2014 December 17, 2014 Rebecca Ford December 29, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141229152740/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-carells-north-korea-thriller-758901 live Hustler announced its intentions to make a pornographic parody film of The Interview. Hustler founder Larry Flynt said, "If Kim Jong-un and his henchmen were upset before, wait till they see the movie we're going to make".http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Take-That-Jong-un-Hustler-Plans-The-Interview-Porn-Parody-583005.html Tom Hynes Take That, Jong-un! Hustler Plans 'The Interview' Porn Parody AVN December 19, 2014 December 20, 2014 April 6, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150406053807/http://business.avn.com/articles/video/Take-That-Jong-un-Hustler-Plans-The-Interview-Porn-Parody-583005.html live Outside the United States In China, the media coverage of the hackings has been limited and outside sources have been censored. A search for "North Korea hack" on Baidu, China's leading search engine, returned just one article, which named North Korea as "one of several suspects." However, Google, which was and is inaccessible in China, returned more than 36 million results for the same query. Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman of foreign affairs, "shied away from directly addressing" the Sony hacking situation.Ripley Will China censors news on Sony hack http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/world/asia/china-north-korea-hack/index.html 23 March 2023 CNN 24 December 2014 en December 24, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141224150150/http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/24/world/asia/china-north-korea-hack/index.html live See also North Korea Criticism of Sony 2013 South Korea cyberattack 2015–16 SWIFT banking hack North Korea's illicit activities References Category:2014 controversies in the United States Category:2014 data breaches Category:2014 in computing Category:2014 in North Korea Category:Attacks in the United States in 2014 Category:Cyberattacks Category:Cyberwarfare in the United States Category:Data breaches in the United States Category:Email hacking Category:2010s in hacking Category:North Korea–United States relations Category:November 2014 crimes in the United States Category:November 2014 in the United States Category:Sony Pictures Entertainment Category:Controversies about films in the United States Category:Information published by WikiLeaks