Everyone is familiar with the basic narrative of the Sony Pictures hack now. North Korea, furious at the upcoming release of “The Interview” starring Seth Rogen, hacked Sony Pictures and threatened them until they pulled the movie.
Everyone “knows” that, especially the FBI, but it’s not what happened. The narrative was manufactured largely after the fact, with an eye toward pinning the hack on North Korea. The evidence shows something different entirely.
The infiltration went on for months before the hackers crashed the Sony Pictures systems, and knew a remarkable lot about the internal workings of their corporate networks. The early statements from the hackers made no mention of North Korea, or “The Interview.”
Indeed, it was only after the US started mentioning that as a possibility, and media outlets started speculating about it, that the hackers latched on to the North Korea excuse and started mentioning any problem with the movie.
Early on, Sony’s own security was seeing the incident as a probable inside job, with a disgruntled former employee almost certainly involved in laying the groundwork for the attack.
Sony only abandoned the “insider” theory after the FBI started pushing the idea of North Korea being responsible, and the movie being the instigating factor. This was convenient for Sony, since it deflected attention from their own internal security failings by making it some huge nation-state attack they couldn’t possibly be expected to withstand.
The FBI, having raised the possibility of North Korea being responsible and under growing pressure to blame somebody, declared their wild guess to be proven fact, something which satisfied everybody, and set the stage for threats of US retaliation against people who, in all likelihood, had nothing to do with the hack.
The FBI sure is specializing in trying to sell comical, impossible scenarios. What's next, aliens are at fault next time some oil transnational contaminates the oceans? These clowns should be writing fiction.
Sony movie — Too much guilt
The criminal behavior of brainwashing the people of another nation, to even thought control a foreign people into assassinating their own President, my thought is that the guilt of this has struck home and the embarrassment is what caused the movie to be scrapped by Sony.
Sony and the morons who own/manage it, should be embarrassed . Can anyone imagine the outrage in the USA if North Korea filmed a "Comedy" of the assassination of John F. Kennedy? Or Obama? Or G. Bush? For Christmas, we would be treated to a "Nativity Scene" of a direct-hit on the head of Kim Jung Un by a hellfire missile, followed by an hour long parade of B-52's, Cruise missiles and finally, by Rambo, (played by John McCain), storming the presidential palace. Or, at least, what is left of it. We would all then be encouraged to sing-along; Silent Night, Holy Night.
Why does this make me think of Benghazi, where the explanation for the attack on the embassy was put on a lousy low budget movie, after the fact? Something (again) does not add up.
When the FBI and the State Dept. both jumped on the North Korea bandwagon at the same time, that was your clue.
Who is it that wants to point the blame at North Korea?
Its Israel. Why you ask?
North Korea has been helping Iran with their nuclear program.
I am so glad that I read Orwell's "1984" long ago – otherwise this would all be confusing – I'd keep forgetting who was it that we were always at war with.
Eurasia, we are at war with Eurasia…….or was that EastAsia?
Yesterday we were in a Cold War for 50 years with Cuba, today we are exchanging ambassadors.
This Sony hack is the biggest bulls–t story since the last bulls–t story, and the kind before that, and the one begin that, and the kind before that, and the one begin that, and the kind before that, and the one begin that.
BS is right – but it sure took the headlines and scrutiny off torture – mission accomplished!!!
Where is Jeff Huber when you need him? RIP.
His subject matter (official stupidity) outlives him.
Obama — “We will retaliate(move cyber destruction)…”
If North and South Korea were to make peace, first thing they would do is point their nuke missiles at Japan and all of Asia would see how truly weak and helpless our Empire USA really is.
So, if it will upset either North or South Korea, better yet if it will start a second Korean War, surely our Empire will be there with bells on.
An internal hack is an entirely different insurance claim than an attack by N Korea. The change may be worth $44 million to Sony.
A featured stories today at Democracy Now pointed out the racism of rich white guys promoting a story where they blow the head off the president of a dirt poor country and make it into a big joke.
But it's so humorous right? Maybe "9/11 the Musical' next?
A 'no-braner' when someone discovered there was a Christmas movie about a wet job on Long Dong il. It had to be the Norks who dunnit? But why only Sony when four other movies on the subject are under production.
I hope that the FBI Widdas and Orphans Benevolent Fund has 'points' on 'The Interview'.
Disagree Mr Ditz. WHY would Sony shoot itself in the foot by echoing a fake FBI-instigated NK hack narrative when they know full well that blaming NK would result in loss of revenue due to counter threats against their pictures?? What on earth could Sony stand to gain by echoing anti-NK propaganda? You suggest Sony might prefer a foreign nation state attack theory to deflect criticism of its own cyber defence failure….however, the damage done to consumer confidence from irking NK is far greater than that from cyber defence weaknesses. I doubt Sony had a clue what was going on. It is at least a plausible theory that Sony were duped into following the FBI’s lead without knowing the ground reality. But Sony knowingly involved in a grand conspiracy?? I think not.
Cui bono? Always worth asking. And the list is long.
It includes, as Ditz mentions the FBI – always on the lookout for a good sting.
CIA taking the focus off the torture report.
Regime change seekers and their running dogs who, apparently, edited the script..
LA Times reports Chinese interest in buying a Hollywood studio. What better way to get a bargain?
Michael Lynton of Snapchat; leaked emails show his company plans to be profitable.
To name but a few.