GOP hackers announce more Sony data leaks for Christmas

As the Guardians of Peace announced another explosive data leak for Christmas, Sony Pictures Entertainment got into incident minimization mode by sending out a message to news outlets, demanding they stop publishing information gleaned from the already released data and future releases.

“We are writing to ensure that you are aware that SPE does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading, or making any use of the stolen information, and to request your cooperation in destroying the stolen information,” demanded David Boies, a well-known lawyer retained by Sony.

“If you do not comply with this request, and the stolen information is used or disseminated by you in any manner, SPE will have no choice but to hold you responsible for any damage or loss arising from such use of dissemination by you, including any damages or loss to SPE or others, and including, but not limited to, any loss of value of intellectual property and trade secrets resulting from your actions,” he concluded.

While we wait to see if this demand has any effect, its curious to note that not one of the other big US-based film studios stood up and condemned the attack – perhaps they fear being the next target?

In any case, we still don’t know who the attackers are, even though it seems likely that they are either backed by the North Korean government or supporters of it.

So far they have released a mountain of data, and have leaked to-be-released movies and screenplays for just announced ones like the new James Bond film.

Sean Gallagher over at Ars Technica has a good overview of the most recently released data as well as some insight on previous attacks against company assets and the ways that the company tried to prepare itself for future ones.