Sony Pictures Entertainment's Dark Christmas

(Baonghean) - Hollywood giant Sony Pictures Entertainment is facing an unprecedented crisis as all the information and data from its internal network has been stolen for the purpose of extortion.

Sony Pictures Entertainment's studio in Los Angeles.

On November 24th, Sony Pictures employees discovered their internal network had been hacked when all local computers displayed the message: "We have breached your internal data vault, including critical secrets and passwords. This is just the beginning. If you do not comply with our instructions, we will release this data to the world." Experts quickly launched an investigation and confirmed that the entire Sony Pictures information system, including international "antennas" located outside the US, had been compromised and partially disabled. Sony Pictures' CEO in France, Eric Brune, stated: "We have no access to email and the internal network. In the meantime, we have to manage data manually."

The period that followed ushered in a truly dark time for Sony Pictures when the data thieves began leaking information to major file-sharing sites. First, they leaked DVD-quality copies of four unreleased films produced by Sony Pictures, including "Annie," the popular film starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. Scheduled for release this coming Christmas, it has already been downloaded tens of thousands of times, causing undeniable damage to Sony Pictures. The severity extends beyond revenue losses, as hundreds of thousands of confidential files, totaling up to 200GB, were also uploaded. These included legal documents, personnel management details, marketing plans, new film scripts, contract agreements, private emails, and more.

Significantly, this attack not only exposed Sony Pictures' secrets to the media and rival companies, but also threatened the company's relationship with Hollywood. For example, in an email exchange between company leaders, actress Angelina Jolie was mentioned as having a "destructive ego." Even President Obama was mentioned. The damage isn't just external; it could also come from within the company, as Sony Pictures employees are alarmed by the leak of personal information such as phone numbers, bank card numbers, passwords, passports, visas, and social security numbers. Former employees have even considered suing Sony Pictures over this serious security breach. Of course, we're talking about a bleak future for the Hollywood giant. But what about the present? The man in the black hat remained in the shadows, issuing a defiant statement: "Either you pay, or Sony Pictures will be shut down."

Reishi Mushroom

According to Le Monde