Federal law enforcement officials investigating the escalating computer hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment say they are taking seriously the possibility that the North Korean government may be behind the crime.
“North Korea can really do this kind of thing,” said one official, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “We’re talking about a country that doesn’t even have the lights on for most of their people but [has] the sophistication to do something like this.”
The FBI is investigating the hack of Sony Pictures computers as a crime and the Department of Homeland Security is providing support and assistance, according to another law enforcement official who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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The forensics analysis of the hack is ongoing and investigators have not yet come to a definitive conclusion about who perpetrated the infiltration of the movie studio’s computer systems, that person said. The FBI has alerted other businesses of ways to protect themselves from a similar attack, and DHS has alerted U.S. government agencies to also be on guard for similar intrusions.
Officials stressed that the investigation is just getting underway, and that a potential North Korean involvement has not been confirmed. Private security experts have speculated that the attack could have been carried out by disgruntled current or former studio employees. However, investigators have told Sony executives that the hack appears to be the work of a sophisticated operation, and not unhappy employees, said a person with knowledge of the situation.
North Korea has come under scrutiny in part because of its threats to retaliate over the release of Sony Pictures’ upcoming film, “The Interview,” a comedy that centers on a fictional attempt to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Since hackers infiltrated Sony’s network, a cache of sensitive computer files has been leaked onto the Internet, including documents purported to contain several top Sony executives’ salaries, the Social Security numbers of thousands of current and former employees, as well as sensitive financial information such as deal terms and the profitability of movies. Several of the studio’s films were also uploaded to the Internet, including the forthcoming holiday musical “Annie.”
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Anxiety deepened on Friday when hackers going by the name Guardians of Peace sent an email to Sony Pictures employees threatening to harm their families.
The cyberassault comes at a bad time for Sony Pictures, a unit of Tokyo-based Sony Corp.
The breach follows layoffs at the studio, which late last year committed to cutting overhead by $250 million after some of its 2013 films performed poorly and an activist shareholder criticized the studio’s management.
However, a Sony Pictures spokesman said the layoffs did not compromise the studio’s cybersecurity.
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“The studio’s IT and information security budgets were not affected by the reductions of the past few years,” the spokesman said.
This isn’t the first large-scale cyberattack Sony has grappled with in recent years. In 2011, the company’s PlayStation Network was hacked — a breach Sony said cost it $170 million.
But after that attack Sony beefed up its cybersecurity protocols, said one person close to the studio.
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A behind-the-scenes look at filming around the world for television and movies, as seen from the streets.
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Mariska Hargitay, who stars on “Law & Order: SVU” as Olivia Benson, directs an episode of the TV series on Dec. 15 in New York City.
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Elle Fanning, left, and Naomi Watts are seen filming “Three Generations” on Nov. 19, 2014, in New York City.
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Rami Malek on the set of “Mr. Robot” on Nov. 7, 2014, in New York City.
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Peter Sarsgaard, left, Uma Thurman, Brian Cox and Penn Badgley on the set of “The Slap” on Nov. 10, 2014, in New York City.
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Penn Badgley and Uma Thurman on the set of “The Slap” on Nov. 10, 2014, in New York City.
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Donnie Wahlberg and his stand-in on the set of “Blue Bloods” on Oct. 31, 2014, in New York City.
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Hilary Duff and Thorbjorn Harr on the set of “Younger” on Oct. 29, 2014, in New York City.
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Patricia Arquette on Oct. 22, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Zac Barnett of American Authors is seen on set for a video shoot on Oct. 26, 2014, in Dickson, Tenn.
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Extras acting in the HBO series “Game of Thrones” leave the bullring on Oct. 22, 2014, as film crews began shooting part of the fifth season in the southern Spanish city of Osuna.
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Indira Varma is on the set of “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19, 2014, in Seville, Spain.
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Actors film “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19, 2014, in Seville, Spain.
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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is on the set of “Game of Thrones” at Real Alcazar on Oct. 19 in Seville, Spain.
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Actor Mark Wahlberg and Amanda Seyfried are seen on the set of “Ted 2" on Oct. 7, 2014, in New York City with Ted (the bear is voiced by Seth MacFarlane).
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Ted looks out the window on the set of “Ted 2" on Oct. 5, 2014, in New York City.
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James Spader on the set of “The Blacklist” on Oct. 8, 2014, in New York City.
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Vince Vaughn is seen on the set of “Unfinished Business” on Oct. 4, 2014, in Boston.
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Zac Efron is seen on the set of “We Are Your Friends” on Sept. 26, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Julianne Moore and Michael Shannon are seen filming “Freeheld” in the Queens borough of New York on Oct. 2, 2014.
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Zac Efron and Max Joseph on the set of “We Are Your Friends” in Los Angeles.
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Amanda Seyfried on the set of “Ted 2" in Boston.
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Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lizzy Caplan on the set of “Christmas Eve Project” in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Actor Peter Vack and actress Lola Kirke for “Mozart in the Jungle” in New York City.
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Zac Efron on the L.A. set of “We Are Your Friends.”
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Rebecca Ferguson and Tom Cruise on the set of “Mission: Impossible 5" on the roof of the opera house in Vienna.
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Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway film “The Intern” on Aug. 26 in New York City.
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Steve Buscemi films on the last day of principal photography for “Boardwalk Empire” on Aug. 25 in the Far Rockaway section of New York City.
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Zac Efron is seen filming “We Are Your Friends” on Aug. 21, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Anthony Mackie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen on the set of “Christmas Eve Project” on Aug. 18, 2014, in New York City.
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Actor James Spader on the set of “The Blacklist” on Aug. 14, 2014, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Ben Affleck walks along a Detroit sidewalk on the set of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” on Aug. 9.
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Nicole Kidman, Christopher Walken and Jason Bateman are seen on the set of “The Family Fang” in Harriman Park, N.Y., on Aug. 14.
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James Franco is seen in character on set of “Michael” in Freeport, N.Y., on Aug. 14.
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Sienna Miller on the set of “Adam Jones” in London’s Leicester Square.
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Jonny Lee Miller on the set of the television series “Elementary” on Aug. 5 in New York City.
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Uma Thurman on the “Adam Jones” set in London.
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Nicole Kidman is seen at the filming of “The Family Fang” on Aug. 4 in New York City.
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Actor Jason Bateman on the set of “The Family Fang” in Rye, N.Y.
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Amanda Seyfried on the “Ted 2" set in Boston.
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Helen Mirren filming ‘The Woman in Gold’ in Los Angeles.
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Charlie Hunnam filming “Sons of Anarchy” in Los Angeles.
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Actors Jason Orley, Zack Pearlman and Robert De Niro on the set of “The Intern” in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Actor Bobby Cannavale and director Martin Scorsese on the set of the “Untitled HBO/Rock N’ Roll Project” in New York City.
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Robert De Niro’s stand-in and stunt double on the set of “The Intern” in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Katie Holmes and Ryan Reynolds filming “Woman in Gold” in Los Angeles.
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Cameron Monaghan and Emmy Rossum on the set of “Shameless” in Los Angeles.
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Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis on the set of “Sleeping With Other People” in New York City.
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Anne Hathaway on the set of “The Intern” in New York City.
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Matt Bomer and Laura Ramsey on the set of “White Collar” in New York City.
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Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer on the set of “Trainwreck” in New York City.
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Bill Hader and Amy Schumer on the set of “Trainwreck” in New York City.
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Robert De Niro and Linda Lavin on the set of “The Intern” in New York City.
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Christoph Waltz is on the set of “Tarzan” in London.
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Adam Scott on the set of “Sleeping With Other People” in New York City.
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Patricia Clarkson, left, and Samantha Bee on the set of “Learning to Drive” in New York City.
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Scott Cooper and Juno Temple on set of “Black Mass” in Boston.
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Benedict Cumberbatch on the set of “Black Mass” in Boston.
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Amy Schumer on the set of “Trainwreck” in New York City.
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Josh Helman and Damon Herriman on the set of “Flesh and Bone” in New York City.
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Taylor Lautner on the set of “Run the Tide” in Los Angeles.
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Amanda Peet on the set of “Sleeping With Other People” in New York City.
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Amanda Peet and Jason Sudeikis on the set of “Sleeping With Other People” in New York City.
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Sophie Nelisse and Kathy Bates on the set of “The Great Gilly Hopkins” in New York City.
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Actors Jason Sudeikis and Margarita Levieva on the set of “Sleeping With Other People” on June 9, 2014, in New York City.
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Johnny Depp on set of “Black Mass” on June 9, 2014, in Boston.
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Bradley Cooper, center, with cast and crew on the set of “American Sniper” in Malibu on June 4.
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Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller film a wedding scene for “American Sniper” in Los Angeles.
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Kevin Connolly, left, Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier and Jerry Ferrara film a scene for “Entourage” on June 2 in L.A.
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Vin Diesel, center, on the set of “Fast & Furious 7" on June 2 in L.A.
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Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen on the set of “Brooklyn” in New York City.
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Actor Ed Harris on the set of “The Adderall Diaries” on May 24, 2014, in New York City.
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Elijah Wood filming “Wilfred” on May 23, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Clint Eastwood and Sienna Miller on the set of “American Sniper” in Los Angeles.
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Sylvester Stallone poses with his puppet as he takes part in the TV show “Le Grand Journal” at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Poppy Montgomery and Boris Kodjoe on the set of “Unforgettable” in New York City.
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Jemima Kirke on locationin New York City for HBO’s “Girls.”
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Allison Williams, who plays Marnie Michaels, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who is Desi, on the set of “Girls” in New York City.
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Diane Kruger and Demian Bichir film a scene from the TV series “The Bridge” in Los Angeles.
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Lena Dunham filming “Girls” in New York City.
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Kelsey Grammer filming “Breaking the Bank” in London.
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Kiefer Sutherland on the set of “24" on March 9, 2014, in London.
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Mary Lynn Rajskub on the set of “24" on March 9, 2014, in London.
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Simon Pegg on the set of ‘Absolutely Anything’ on April 28, 2014, in London.
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Actress Hailee Steinfeld with a fake pregnant belly and Asa Butterfield on the set of “Ten Thousand Saints” in Tompkins Square Park on May 1, 2014, in New York City.
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Jamie Foxx filming “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" on April 21, 2013, in New York City.
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Actor Andrew Garfield, center left, is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City with his stunt double William Spencer, right, and a second stunt double.
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, rehearses a scene with his stunt double William Spencer on the “The Amazing Spiderman 2" movie set in Madison Square Park in New York.
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, his stunt double William Spencer, center, and a second stunt double are seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City.
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Jamie Foxx filming on location for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" on April 21, 2013, in New York City.
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Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone filming “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" on location in New York City.
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Jamie Foxx as Electro/Max Dillon in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" on location in New York City.
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Actor Andrew Garfield, right, his stunt double William Spencer, center, and a second stunt double are seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City.
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Actor Paul Giamatti films a scene at the “The Amazing Spiderman 2" movie set in Madison Square Park on June 22, 2013, in New York City.
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Actor Andrew Garfield is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City.
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Actor Paul Giamatti is seen on the set of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City.
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Actor Paul Giamatti on the set of “The Amazing Spiderman 2" in New York City’s Madison Square Park.
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Jamie Foxx on location for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2" in New York City.
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Kyra Sedgwick on the set of “Time Out of Mind” in New York City.
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Kate Beckinsale on the film set of “Absolutely Anything” in London.
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Lena Dunham and Adam Driver film a scene for “Girls” on April 16, 2014, in New York City.
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Sam Worthington filming “Cake” on location in Los Angeles.
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Jennifer Aniston filming “Cake” on location in Los Angeles.
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Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond on the set of “Tooken” on March 27, 2014, in New York City.
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Actress Katie Holmes is seen on the set of “Dangerous Liaisons"on April 3, 2014, in New York City.
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Jena Malone on the set of “Time Out of Mind” on April 1, 2014, in New York City.
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Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart play mother and daughter filming on location for “Still Alice” on March 21, 2014, at Lido Beach, N.Y.
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Richard Gere on the set of “Time Out Of Mind” on March 26, 2014, in New York City.
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Jeremy Renner films an action scene in Aoasta, Italy, for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”.
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Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson film on location in Pont-Saint-Martin in Aosta, Italy, for “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
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Actors are suited up for special effects on the set of “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in Aosta, Italy.
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Richard Gere and Ben Vereen on the set of “Time Out Of Mind” on March 26, 2014, in New York City.
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Actress Zoe Saldana on the “Rosemary’s Baby” set on the last day of shooting on March 27, 2014, in Paris.
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Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin film “Still Alice” on New York’s Long Island.
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Peter Capaldi is up a tree during filming for the eighth season of BBC’s “Doctor Who” in Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales.
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Katherine Heigl films the NBC pilot of “State of Affairs” in New York City.
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A large monster is spotted during filming of the BBC series “Doctor Who” in Cardiff, Wales.
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Kate Walsh is ready for a scene in the TV movie “Bad Judge,” filming in Los Angeles.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger performs on the set of “Despierta America” with Joe Manganiello at Univision Headquarters in Miami.
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Actresses Kristen Stewart and Julianne Moore on the set of “Stille Alice” on March 14, 2014, in New York City.
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Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin on the set of “Still Alice” on March 11, 2014, in New York City.
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Carey Mulligan on the set of “Suffragette” on March 14, 2014, in London.
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Donal Logue, left, and Ben McKenzie on the set of “Gotham” on March 20, 2014, in New York City.
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Lea Michele on the set of “Glee” on March 13, 2014, in New York City.
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Kevin McHale, left, Chord Overstreet, Chris Colfer and Darren Chris on the set of “Glee” at Washington Square Park on March 14, 2014, in New York City.
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Lea Michele and Michael Lerner on the set of “Glee” on March 16, 2014, in New York City.
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Actor Ian Ziering is seen on the set of “Sharknado 2" in New York City.
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A shark’s head prop is carried onto the set of “Sharknado 2" in New York City. The prop assistant’s arm remained intact.
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Liam Neeson films a scene for the TV series “Entourage” in Los Angeles.
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Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold), left, and Liam Neeson work together on a scene for the TV show “Entourage” in L.A.
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Ian Ziering and Vivica Fox on the set of “Sharknado 2" on Feb. 19, 2014, in New York City.
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Mark Wahlberg and Jessica Lange filming “The Gambler” on location in Los Angeles.
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Liev Schreiber films “Ray Donovan” on Feb. 03, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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Louie CK on the set of “Louie” on Jan. 31, 2014, in New York City.
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Wil Estes and Vanessa Ray on the set of “Blue Bloods” on Jan. 31, 2014, in New York City.
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Skyler Gisondo and Ben Stiller on the set of “Night at the Museum 3" on Feb. 6, 2014, in New York City.
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Actors Ethan Hawke, Hailee Steinfeld, left, and Asa Butterfield on the set of “Ten Thousand Saints” on Jan. 27, 2014, in New York City.
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Jon Hamm on the set of “Mad Men” on Jan. 14, 2014, in Los Angeles.
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George Clooney, second from left, filming “Tomorrowland” at Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias on Jan. 21, 2014, in Valencia, Spain.
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Action from the set of TV series “24" on Jan. 22, 2014, in London.
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Chris Evans and Alice Eve on the set of “1:30 Train” on Dec. 18, 2013, in New York City.
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Bethany Joy Lenz, left, Rumer Willis and Robert Hoffman in Washington Square Park filming “Songbyrd” on Jan. 20, 2014, in New York City.
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Kevin Bacon and Sprague Grayden on the set of “The Following” on Dec. 10, 2013, in New York City.
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Jennifer Lopez on the set of “The Boy Next Door” in Los Angeles.
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Mark Wahlberg is seen on set filming the movie ‘Transfomers 4: Age of Extinction’ on Sunday October 27,2013 in Hong Kong,China.
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Mark Wahlberg performs on the set of “Transformers: Age of Extinction” in Hong Kong on Oct. 26, 2013.
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Scarlett Johansson filming a scene for her new movie, “Lucy” on Oct. 21, 2013, in Taipei, China.
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Director Clint Eastwood, right, and actor John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli on the set of “Jersey Boys” in Kearny, N.J.
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Actress Li Bingbing and actor Stanley Tucci filming “Transfomers 4: Age of Extinction” in Hong Kong.
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Edie Falco, left, and Julie White on the set of “Nurse Jackie” in New York City.
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Actor Mark Wahlberg on the set of “Transfomers 4: Age of Extinction” in Hong Kong.
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Quvenzhane Wallis, right, is shown with her stand-in on the set of “Annie” in September in New York City.
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Quvenzhane Wallis and Jamie Foxx are seen on the set of “Annie” in September in New York City.
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Still, Ralph Echemendia, chief executive of digital security consulting firm Red-e Digital, said Sony operates a network that is massive and sprawling, making it vulnerable to attacks.
“The alarming thing about it was the size of the network and the way it was being operated,” said Echemendia, who consulted for Sony in the aftermath of the PlayStation hack. “When you have something that crosses between Sony Music, Sony Entertainment — a lot of different entities — you could potentially get into so many different aspects of Sony.”
The attack has cast a harsh spotlight on the studio’s top executives: Chairman Michael Lynton and co-Chairman Amy Pascal.
They’ve already endured a tough 18 months, having spent part of 2013 and this year fending off criticism from activist shareholder Dan Loeb of hedge fund Third Point. Last year, Loeb criticized Sony’s entertainment arm for being poorly managed, citing box-office misfires “After Earth” and “White House Down.”
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Hacking scandals have led to resignations at other companies. In May, a massive data breach at Target forced Chief Executive Gregg Steinhafel to resign.
Sony Pictures Entertainment co-Chairman Amy Pascal could face pressure amid the hacking.
(Jason Merritt / Getty Images for Variety)
But Arvind Bhambri, associate professor of management and organization at USC, said he doesn’t believe that the hack attack leaves Pascal and Lynton vulnerable to dismissal.
“What happened at Sony could have happened to any company,” Bhambri said.
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Pascal, viewed as the studio’s top creative decision maker, could be scrutinized for the decision to move forward with “The Interview.” Though intended as a satire, the R-rated comedy due out on Christmas sparked outrage from North Korea this summer, with a government spokesman calling it tantamount to an “act of war.”
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who co-directed the movie, told The Times in an interview before the hack became public that private consultants told them to be prepared for possible retaliation from North Korea.
In the mid-November interview, Rogen expressed appreciation for Sony’s commitment to the picture.
“This was in a lot of ways bizarrely our easiest movie to get made ever. [Sony] really loved the idea,” he said.
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Pascal and Lynton declined to be interviewed, the Sony spokesman said.
The studio’s computer systems remain partly offline, with employees communicating via mobile phone to avoid using computers. The nature of the data leaks — sensitive information has been parceled out and posted online on a nearly daily basis — has driven morale at the company to new lows.
On Thursday, hackers released the personal information of roughly 47,000 people, including that of actors Sylvester Stallone and Rebel Wilson, according to data-security consulting firm Identity Finder.
The hack could cost the studio tens of millions of dollars as it deals with rebuilding its computer network, paying a cyberforensics firm to investigate the breach and addressing legal liabilities. There are other potential costs associated with the loss of revenue associated with the pirating of five Sony Pictures movies.
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Laura Martin, a senior media analyst for Needham & Co., said that the hack attack would put the entertainment industry on notice.
“This raises the risk to all of the studios,” Martin said. “There is no economic motivation for [hackers]. It is more about creating chaos.”
Brian Bennett previously covered the White House, national security and immigration in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, where he worked from 2010-18.
Daniel Miller is an enterprise business reporter for the Los Angeles Times, working on investigations, features and projects. An L.A. native and UCLA graduate, he joined the staff in 2013.
