As leaks from the recent Sony hack continue to make headlines and company executives apologize for insensitive comments made in exposed emails, we still don’t know how the hack occurred or the exact nature of the demands made by the attackers. But we’ve learned a bit about Sony’s security practices. And we’ve learned that the attackers may have tried to extort Sony before releasing its secrets. We’ve also learned that attempts by Sony to rally public support from rival studios has failed.
A message apparently from the people behind last month’s Sony Pictures hack is offering to remove employees’ information from upcoming data dumps. The post, signed GOP or Guardians of Peace, includes links to new files, but it also says that hackers are preparing a Christmas gift of “more interesting” data that will “put Sony Pictures into the worst state.” Previous leaks have included studio notes on recent films, tens of thousands of social security numbers, and details about upcoming movies, including The Interview, the Seth Rogen film that put Sony in the hackers’ line of fire. The group’s exact goals aren’t specific, but it’s demanded Sony halt the release of The Interview, which involves the bloody death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea has denied involvement in the hack, but some suspicious signs point towards its involvement. “The sooner SPE accept our demands, the better, of course,” this message reads. “The farther [sic] time goes by, the worse state SPE will be put into and we will have Sony go bankrupt in the end.”
