Sony and Snapchat Devastated by Data War
Bernard Marr
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Are Hackers, Terrorists and un-friendly foreign countries now targeting our data to win the cyber war and hold corporations and potentially countries to ransom?
In a world where more and more data is stored and transmitted digitally, it becomes easier to steal business secrets but there is potential for so much more damage.
The founder of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, has just seen the devastating effects of cyber crime where hackers that penetrated Sony’s systems stole data he sent in confidence to a Sony executive (who serves on the board of Snapchat).
In his confidential emails, Spiegel discussed his secret strategic plans for Snapchat as well as details about how much Snapchat paid for some of their acquisitions, information that was previously undisclosed.
All this information has now been leaked by hackers in an attempt to stop Sony from releasing their latest comedy “The Interview”, which features a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. You could argue that this kind of plot is quite harsh, considering Kim Jong-un is currently running a country and I am not sure how the US would react if it was the other way around.
Whichever side you take here - 'freedom of speech' or 'overstepping the mark', none of it justifies data crime. Fingers are being pointed to North Korea, who many believe are behind the attacks, but the FBI and The Department of Homeland Security are still investigating.
Following the initial hack (about a month ago), hackers revealed embarrassing details and personal information about some of Hollywood’s A list movie stars. This was bad enough.
This was followed by leaking confidential business details about Snapchat as well as threats to cinemas. Hackers threatened to attack cinemas that would show the movie and mentioned in their communication events like 9/11.
The cinema chain that was due to host the premiere of the film in New York yesterday, cancelled the event and any planned screenings of the movie.
It is not clear yet who is behind the attacks and how much data the hackers have stolen from Sony, but calling it a “Chistmas Gift” the group calling themselves Guardians of Piece have just released an array of confidential Sony company data.
This entire story is obviously devastating for the individuals and corporations involved in this but it opens up the debate about data security and threats that come with the big data economy.
It is really scary to think about all the other systems and data sources out there and what could potentially happen if they get corrupted. Just think about the personal health data, your mobile phone location data, your financial information, etc.
As always, I am keen to hear your thoughts and reactions on the topic. Please share them in the comments below.
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About : Bernard Marr is a globally recognized expert in strategic metrics and data. He helps companies and executive teams manage, measure, analyze and improve performance.
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Managing Director at Parrent & Associates; Historic Building Preservation and Restoration.
10 年In an ideal world Sony should release the movie The Interview to all internet users and all other types of media to be watched free of charge. Now the tricky part; all persons who download and watch it should send the price of a ticket to Sony. Or, perhaps the US Government should give Sony a few 100 million in tax credits if they release it without charge. Providing this movie to everyone inside and outside the US would send a strong message to those who wish to interrupt and stifle industries in the US.
Dealer Product Specialist, Gibson Brands Inc.
10 年Unfortunately Infosec at many companies suffer from lack of resources and a limited view of Supply Chain Ecosystems. Without visibility of who has access to your data and assessing their risk, security breaches like this will continue. I'm not trying to hijack this post into a plug but a new service from a company called 3PAS gives you a complete view of RISK, SECURITY and COMPLIANCE using the internationally accepted ISO 27001-2 standard in the form of a credit score-like report. Plug-ins are available for industry regulations like PCI, HIPPA for example including the HIPPA Omnibus Rule. 3PAS is worth a look.
Business Owner at Stafford Park Culinary
10 年Security can never be an afterthought, and sloppy security protocols are an accident waiting to happen. In this case the "Hackers" were pretty low tech and went for the easiest way in - credentials from high level administrators. If anything, we all need to learn to take security measures extremely seriously. This would effectively make these sorts of attacks much more difficult. The response from this country to such extortion has been slow, but barring that we all need to batten down the hatches and try to avoid this sort of act altogether.
Head of Products/ COO | Product Management
10 年What Sony is experiencing is a reflection of what can prospectively happen to any consumer today. Consumers that use websites and web services are just as at risk as Sony. Maybe now that a branded company has experienced first hand the detrimental impact of losing their privacy will all companies begin to consider more seriously the responsibly they have with the consumer data they maintain.
OT Cyber Security Management
10 年Mr. Marr I am not sure how to comment on your article, let us face it. Security is just another check box. Companies don't give a %^&$ about security. All these programs we see and technologies adopted are just a sham to keep the regulator happy. Companies are building a charade around their imperfections. Sony is but another mere example, looking back at 2014 it has been a joke for some of the most brilliant names in industry and now Sony is joining that long grey line. This just proves that nobody is immune and the reason is not that the attacker is smarter but because the defender is governed by business and not technology. I for one have been shot down on a couple of occasions, when security interfered with business and deadlines. What would you do ? I bet most of the poster on this very thread have the opportunity to go and ask their security teams regarding the conditions they operate under. Listen to the answers and then, it would be possible to make an assumption, whether to point a finger at countries thousands of miles away or the executive management that really doesn't give a ￡$^6 about security and is worried about the nickles and dimes or even worse when middle management masks reality and presents fluffy facts back to senior management.