Sony Pictures hack: Top films including Annie and Fury leaked, as Sony probes North Korea link
Company has taken on new security consultants to clean up the attack that has seen the leak of films including ‘Fury’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Sony Pictures hack that has left the company’s computer systems entirely broken led to the leaking of a number of the company’s biggest films over the weekend, and the company is looking into North Korean involvement in the breach.
Sony has hired Mandiant, a forensic cybersecurity consulting firm, to clean up the attack, Reuters has reported. The FBI is also investigating the attack.
The Sony Pictures hack began last week, when hackers took over all of Sony Pictures’ computer systems and posted a series of demands to the PCs. The systems have been crippled ever since, with sensitive documents related to stars including Angelina Jolie and Cameron Diaz said to be at risk.
Five films have been liked online following the hacking — including Brad Pitt’s ‘Fury’ and the new version of Annie. Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner, which has been released in the UK but is not yet out in the US, Still Alice and To Write Love On Her Arms were also leaked.
'Fury', which has been released in cinemas but not yet on DVD, rocketed up torrent charts after it was downloaded nearly a million times. It was the fifth most-downloaded film on BitTorrent last week.
Sony is thought to be investigating the possibility of North Korean involvement in the hack, related to its upcoming release of the Interview, which depicts a CIA plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un, Re/Code reported. State propaganda outlets promised ‘merciless retaliation’ for the film, but there is no concrete evidence to suggest that the country was involved.
Technicians are making headway with the systems and expect email to be restored today, a source told Reuters.