Massive hack attack cripples Sony Pictures website
29 Nov 2014
A massive hack attack at Sony Pictures left the internal computer network crippled, within days of threatening messages having been posted by a hacker group that identified itself as #GOP to meet unspecified demands or face cyber attacks (See: Hackers attack Sony Pictures' computers, blackmail studio).
The hackers also took away a pile of secret Sony documents.
The hackers identifying themselves as Guardians of Peace (GOP) left all computers connected to Sony Pictures' network displaying a warning message from the hackers.
In addition to shutting-down Sony's worldwide business, GOP also threatened to reveal Sony's top secret internal data, including passwords and financial reports.
According to reports, GOP threatened to make public all the classified information it stole unless unspecified demands were met by a certain deadline and though the deadline had passed and GOP had revealed no information.
Security analysts are not quite sure if Sony Pictures had succeeded in containing the security breach as it kept mum about this massive security breach.
Meanwhile, ANI reported that as Sony pictures struggled to get its computer systems back on track following a hack last week, loads of sensitive data and documents including, the passports of celebrities like, Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz and Angelina Jolie; a file apparently containing passwords for Twitter, accounting systems and the website; and Outlook email archives faced the risk of being released by hackers.
Though the group threatened to disclose stolen data if Sony Pictures failed to co-operate and with its demands that it did not specify, it had made no demands despite the expiry of the deadline set by the group, The Independent reported.
Meanwhile, a person who claimed to be a member of the hacking group, said the group was seeking equality and seemed to imply that it had physical access to Sony Network.
According to the report, this statement along with others made elsewhere, implied that the group either included Sony employees or were helped by one.
According to commentators the hack could take up to three weeks to fix.
