What does everybody make of this whole Sony Hack/"The Interview" thing?

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mrichhcirm

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At first I thought it was just a stunt to promote what is probably a mediocre movie (never really cared for Judd Apatow movies anyway). But apparently the hacker threat is being taken really seriously.

On the one hand, this looks like a serious hostile strike by a foreign power against US commercial interests, not unlike capturing cargo ships on the high seas....dare we say an act of war.

On the other hand, this could be a blessing in disguise: a wake-up call that our economy is vulnerable to cyber-warfare. You can bet that the government and private sector just started paying a lot more attention to data security.

I'm struggling to believe, though, that a country that can't even apply modern agricultural methods to feed its people can carry out an attack like that without help. And even if they were capable, they would know better than to flaunt that capability over a stupid movie. No, I believe they got outside assistance from somewhere...maybe from someone trying to test our defenses against such an attack. Maybe even from "white-hat" hackers trying to get the US to take cyber warfare threats seriously, or possibly cash in as a security consultant.

Anyone else want to weigh in?
 
Its not. Its real. Being in SoCal I know a few peeps around Sony. They are pissed even tho in some ways it's Mea Culpa.

The movie not being shown is a bad idea... as everyone points out, its no different than giving in to terrorist or blackmailers or kidnappers, etc... you just encourage more. Sony is more CYA'ing than anything. No release? No liability at all. Thats America for you... :( :rant:

People ask what could have they done to actually stop the showing? What does a theater need, at the BASIC level to show a movie? BASIC... I mean BASIC level... its chilling.... power. What would happen if the idiots in NK hacked into the SoCal power grid? Or ANY power grid? Think it's impossible? Then you live in a fantasy world.

Think... think of the chill... the economic repercussions, if a country shows I can turn you power off at will....

Think.

ATM Nets... think You don't have to attack Theaters... just the basic infrastructure that makes them work in the modern world.

 
I think it should be distributed for free... Completely cover N. Korea in DVD's and broadcast it over all their television channels. Let the people make the decision.
 
Or...............

All this publicity will make folks flock to theaters when it is shown. And it will be, maybe 6-8months to a year down the road... but it will be.

As of now the most talked about movie event in years, on all media....every where!

Some where, there are people who "know" what's going on......there always is. Time will tell the real reason.
I'm going to go find my old tin foil hat & try not to buy into any of this conspiracy theory bull.


Heck our entire modern society can be brought to it's knees by simply ........... unplugging it!
 
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Interesting article here: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/north-korea-hacked-sony-don-173312483.html. Gist is that private security experts (outside the Fed agencies) seriously doubt that it is North Korea. They say proxies can be set up from anywhere in the world and the real "tell" is the behavior and language of the hackers. They say this group is very familiar with American psyche, use "tongue-in-cheek" expressions that a North Korean native would not fathom, was originally extortion-motivated and just played along with the whole North Korea/Interview thing when it was proposed by national news outlets. The private security experts are leaning toward a group which includes one or more disgruntled Sony employees.
 
I think pulling the movie was a bad idea. If there was a credible threat against a specific theater, sure, pull that showing. Otherwise full steam ahead. We can't let threats deter us from living our lives.

This comes to you from a guy that was on the first U.S. jet from the USA to land in Aruba when our airspace opened up following the 9/11/2011 attacks. I had my first vacation in 4 years planned, and I wasn't going to let fear stop me from taking it.

Marc
 
I for one am very thankful for the direction this thing has taken. The world simply does not need another Seth Rogan movie. We should all be thankful.
 
The big issue is whether or not nation/states were involved. It's one thing when a kid in his mom's basement hacks a system and then brags to his online buddies about it. It's quite another when it is state-sponsored and is followed by threats. Some may see that as an act of war.

I'm sure that this situation is giving the boys and girls at Langley some late nights.

Greg
 
I think it's a great publicity stunt...

Take a crap movie that nobody wants to see - create a crazy story -- pull movie -- later release the "forbidden fruit" that everyone will want to see....turn a loser into a money maker.

Just saying....might be......
 
Its not. Its real. Being in SoCal I know a few peeps around Sony. They are pissed even tho in some ways it's Mea Culpa.

The movie not being shown is a bad idea... as everyone points out, its no different than giving in to terrorist or blackmailers or kidnappers, etc... you just encourage more. Sony is more CYA'ing than anything. No release? No liability at all. Thats America for you... :( :rant:

People ask what could have they done to actually stop the showing? What does a theater need, at the BASIC level to show a movie? BASIC... I mean BASIC level... its chilling.... power. What would happen if the idiots in NK hacked into the SoCal power grid? Or ANY power grid? Think it's impossible? Then you live in a fantasy world.

Think... think of the chill... the economic repercussions, if a country shows I can turn you power off at will....

Think.

ATM Nets... think You don't have to attack Theaters... just the basic infrastructure that makes them work in the modern world.


tin-foil-hat.jpg
 
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WAKE UP CALL- Mankind has decided to live with a technology that is vulnerable to man himself, mother nature, and the machine itself. There will be problems as long as this technology is married with antiquated technology and ignorance of keeping this technology as secure as possible is present.
 
The 2 most embarrassing pathetic players in this saga.

1. The mainstream and other "news" media. Instead of focusing on the real story of a damaging attack from a foreign country on a US asset, the popular media focuses the story on the salicious emails about what Amy says about Obama or what the studio thinks about Angelina Jolie.

2. The US government and DHS. Where are they? Now they are talking about "A proportionate response that might not be immediately detectable". Whuh?

The Proportionate Response should be the US government give Sony Pictures $50M to make them whole on this POC movie and then put it up on a TheInterview.gov website and offer free streaming to anyone in the world who wants to watch it. Then let the Guardians of Peace try to hack that website for a true proportional response.
 
The movie was a bad idea from the start. While I understand artistic freedom, and I have no love for North Korea, a movie about killing a sitting head of state is just a very ,very bad idea.

With that said, the result from this might be a wake up call. This country, and all the world for that matter, must find a better way to secure their computer systems. The hacks and security breach's can not go on. If a major electrical grid, a city's water supply, the FAA's flight control system were taken down it would bring our country to it knees. We keep being told by business and industry that their systems are safe, but the breaches continue. Just too many bad people and governments in the world.

Not sure what the answer is. Maybe company's need two computer systems, one for normal business, and one that cannot be accessed from outside the company. Sure hope it gets fixed soon.

Mike
 
Perhaps Sony should spend some cash to create their own cyber warfare unit, and take out the hackers and their sponsors. I think it is a fine idea, and frankly, if the US Government had brains or balls they would have already taken care of the counter attack.


Mark Koelsch
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I don't know a lot about this movie, other than a TV ad every once in a while. It was something I really don't have any interest in seeing, anyway.

But, I think Sony is a bunch of candy-a** woosies for not going ahead on showing this. The terrorists win. When is this country going to wake up and take careof business on this kind of thing? Somebody earlier posted about attacks on power grids, if they can attack a movie studio, I think it's totally feasible that they can attack somewhere that will do real damage.

Phil L.
 
Perhaps Sony should spend some cash to create their own cyber warfare unit, and take out the hackers and their sponsors. I think it is a fine idea, and frankly, if the US Government had brains or balls they would have already taken care of the counter attack.


Mark Koelsch
Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum


Most likely too late now. I'm sure all the data hacked is "down on paper" by now. According to CNN the latest ultimatum issued by the hackers is as long as the movie is never released in any form, the data they have will never be released. Evidently the cost to Sony is much lower not releasing the movie than it would be should their data be released.
 
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I am sure it has nothing to do with candy. My guess is based on some if the leaks coming out of Sony now, they are afraid other things may come out that would discredit their brand.


Because I am addicted, this is coming from my phone.
 
The movie was a bad idea from the start. While I understand artistic freedom, and I have no love for North Korea, a movie about killing a sitting head of state is just a very ,very bad idea.

With that said, the result from this might be a wake up call. This country, and all the world for that matter, must find a better way to secure their computer systems. The hacks and security breach's can not go on. If a major electrical grid, a city's water supply, the FAA's flight control system were taken down it would bring our country to it knees. We keep being told by business and industry that their systems are safe, but the breaches continue. Just too many bad people and governments in the world.

Not sure what the answer is. Maybe company's need two computer systems, one for normal business, and one that cannot be accessed from outside the company. Sure hope it gets fixed soon.

Mike


My thoughts too. it's like going up top the bully at school, kicking him or taunting him, then crying that he hit you..
 
Most likely too late now. I'm sure all the data hacked is down on paper by now. According to CNN the latest ultimatum issued by the hackers is as long as the movie is never released in any form, the data they have will never be released. Evidently the cost to Sony is much lower not releasing the movie than it would be should their data be released.

Not concerned with containing the data at this point. My thinking is to destroy the attackers, make the world aware of what happens and who did it all in an attempt to disuade such future crap.


Mark Koelsch
Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 
Sony wasn't going to pull it, the theatres were deciding not to show based on their lawyers advice. Sony had no choice.
 
Most of the major chains had already told Sony they would not show it. What I wish had happened, was all the major studios come together and tell the theaters that if they don't show Sony's "The Interview", that the theaters can't have any of their movies. Would it be costly to the studios if the theaters said "FU"? Of course. I also think the studios also offer to pay for additional security (real cops on overtime, not "mall-cops") for any theater that shows "The Interview". I think the only way for the industry to handle this, is say "FU" to the hackers and double down on their right to distribute any movie (even a Seth Rogen movie). I support Clooney.

https://deadline.com/2014/12/george-clooney-sony-hollywood-cowardice-north-korea-cyberattack-petition-1201329988/
 
Still think it's a publicity stunt.
If it is REAL,We should take appropriate action.
IIRC, we sent radar jamming airplanes into Iraq. When the pilots fired them up the ENTIRE electrical grid shut down.
We could just bomb them into the Stone Age, but we'd move them ahead a few hundred years
 
Still think it's a publicity stunt.
If it is REAL,We should take appropriate action.
IIRC, we sent radar jamming airplanes into Iraq. When the pilots fired them up the ENTIRE electrical grid shut down.
We could just bomb them into the Stone Age, but we'd move them ahead a few hundred years

So you think the FBI and the President of the US decided that a Seth Rogen movie needed their help to ensure a good box office return for this movie. And you think Sony intentionally released a lot of embarrassing emails just to make the publicity stunt look real?
 
Perhaps Sony should spend some cash to create their own cyber warfare unit, and take out the hackers and their sponsors. I think it is a fine idea, and frankly, if the US Government had brains or balls they would have already taken care of the counter attack.


Mark Koelsch
Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum

Absolutely.
 
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