FBI Investigating Cyber Hacking Attack At Sony Pictures Entertainment

CORRECTS YEAR TO 2012 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Hackers claim to have intercepted and leaked a sensitive conference call between cyber crime investig... CORRECTS YEAR TO 2012 - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington Friday, Feb. 3, 2012. Hackers claim to have intercepted and leaked a sensitive conference call between cyber crime investigators at the FBI and Scotland Yard. The hacker group Anonymous has released a roughly 15-minute-long recording of what appears to be a Jan. 17 conference call devoted to tracking and prosecuting members of the loose-knit hacking group. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) MORE LESS
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The FBI has confirmed it is investigating a recent hacking attack at Sony Pictures Entertainment, which caused major internal computer problems at the film studio last week.

Sony’s corporate email and other internal systems were knocked offline, according to reports by Variety and other trade publications. Sony workers reportedly saw a message appear on their computer screens that said “Hacked by #GOP,” which may be the initials of a group calling itself Guardians of Peace. Copies of some unreleased Sony films such as “Still Alice,” ”Annie,” ”Mr. Turner,” and “To Write Love on Her Arms” are now being distributed on unauthorized file-sharing websites, as well as the still-in-theaters “Fury,” although a direct connection to the hacking hasn’t been confirmed.

Culver City, California-based Sony Pictures said in a statement Monday that it is continuing “to work through issues related to what was clearly a cyber attack last week. The company has restored a number of important services to ensure ongoing business continuity and is working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter.”

Along with the FBI, Sony has brought in forensic experts from the Mandiant division of FireEye, a Silicon Valley cybersecurity company, according to a source familiar with the case who did not want to be named because the companies have not yet announced the arrangement. Mandiant helps companies determine the extent of breaches and repair damages. The firm has worked on other high-profile computer breaches, including the one at Target last year.

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Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  1. If you get hacked by the Chinese or the Russians, well, there’s no real shame in that because they’re that good. It’s only embarrassing to get hacked by Anonymous if it happens twice.

    But, damn, if you let yourself get hacked by a country where electrification is a Potemkin village policy and that uses early 1990s computers in the HQ of its air defense command puts a 1980’s era computer on the desk of its semi-divine leader, and, in particular, when this happens after you’ve already been deeply embarrassed by repeated Anonymous hacks, you really, really need to to track down the MBA management dimwit who’s pinching pennies in IT and fire his ass. (Though, Sony being Sony, they’ll probably promote him instead.)

    Update: Based on my perusal of Google images, they evidently got embarrassed by earlier photos showing a big IBM XT style box and a CRT on his desk and bought him an iMac. It is unknown at this time whether the procurement officer responsible for the XT was sentenced to be executed by flamethrower or eaten by starving dogs.

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