Sony Wars: The Good, the Bad and The Interview

One of the biggest technology stories to break this year has been the Sony versus North Korea debacle. And if the dictionary definition of debacle is correct – ‘a sudden and ignominious failure’ – then debacle seems to be the right word for it. It all started when Sony Pictures unveiled its latest opus – the Seth Rogen/James Franco masterpiece The Interview. Let’s take a look at the fallout from that…

The standard stoner-slacker comedy tells the tale of two journalists co-opted by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. And how did the Communist dictatorship celebrate this act of freedom of speech (and adequate satire)? North Korea claimed it was a declaration of war, of course. But hey, this isn’t 1940, right? Carpet-bombing is so old war; this is a new war – a cyber-battle fought online.

On November 24^th, Sony Pictures was hacked. Black-hats compromised the computer network and stole a colossal 100 terabytes of information. They also prevented employee access, leaking emails, pirating films, and leaving a warning behind on the screens – a red skeleton and the message ‘Hacked by #GOP’, or Guardians of Peace. In the following days, details of Sony emails found their way to the gossip sites and mainstream media. Meanwhile, North Korea denied any knowledge of the hack, which it called a ‘righteous deed’. Sony began fighting back though, using networks in Asia to execute a DDOS at sites who are hosting the stolen information.

Barely a fortnight later, and the so-called Guardians of Peace threatened a 9/11-style terror attack on any cinema who dares to screen The Interview. Cinema chains across the US decided not to show the movie, and Sony had no option by to halt the release. Which angers President Obama, and has the FBI claiming that certain cyber-security experts have pin-pointed the origin of the Sony Hack to… North Korea.

Aggrieved that a despot has challenged America’s right to freedom of speech, the US promised a tempered response. Days later the whole of North Korea’s internet goes down. China denies responsibility; the United States makes no comment at all. It’s the first few cyber-shots of a cyber war which destroys finances and reputations. Sony then releases The Interview online through video-on-demand services – it makes $15 million in four days.

Here at Tristar IT we’re always keeping an eye on just how technology is evolving – and this incident certainly shows the importance of online security. If you’re looking to bolster your cyber-security or require IT support in London, we’re ready to serve. For more information about our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01707 378 453 or email sales@tristarsupport.co.uk and our professional staff will be happy to assist.