If Sony Employees Say "Pretty Please", Hackers Won't Release Their Private Info
While Sony Entertainment Pictures is still reeling from a security breach that caught the company with its pants down, the organization that is claiming responsibility is threatening more virtual wedgies. Known as Guardians of Peace (#GOP), the group says more leaks are coming, but is willing to refrain from releasing private information of any Sony employees who drop the group a line.
"Message to SPE Staffers. We have a plan to release emails and privacy of the Sony Pictures employees," reads a posting by #GOP, according to Recode. "If you don't want your privacy to be released, tell us your name and business title to take your name off."
The open invitation to request removal was posted on Pastebin and Friendpaste, two popular online drop sites that hackers typically use when unloading stolen information resulting from cyber attacks. The listings also warned that more internal emails would be posted, which has the potential to cause further embarrassment for Sony and its workers.
Sony and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are presumably still trying to figure out where the attack originated. One initial theory by analysts is that North Korea was funding the operation in retaliation for "The Interview," an upcoming comedy featuring James Franco and Seth Rogen tasked by the CIA with killing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. North Korea has denied any connection to the cyber crimes, though called it a "righteous deed." While the investigation goes on, Sony has issued a warning to several news outlets not to post the contents of confidential emails.
The FBI has also been warning U.S. businesses of sophisticated malware making the rounds that appears to have originated from a pair of IP addresses in Iran.
"Message to SPE Staffers. We have a plan to release emails and privacy of the Sony Pictures employees," reads a posting by #GOP, according to Recode. "If you don't want your privacy to be released, tell us your name and business title to take your name off."
The open invitation to request removal was posted on Pastebin and Friendpaste, two popular online drop sites that hackers typically use when unloading stolen information resulting from cyber attacks. The listings also warned that more internal emails would be posted, which has the potential to cause further embarrassment for Sony and its workers.
Sony and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are presumably still trying to figure out where the attack originated. One initial theory by analysts is that North Korea was funding the operation in retaliation for "The Interview," an upcoming comedy featuring James Franco and Seth Rogen tasked by the CIA with killing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. North Korea has denied any connection to the cyber crimes, though called it a "righteous deed." While the investigation goes on, Sony has issued a warning to several news outlets not to post the contents of confidential emails.
The FBI has also been warning U.S. businesses of sophisticated malware making the rounds that appears to have originated from a pair of IP addresses in Iran.
