Sony Pictures Hackers Demand Studio to Stop Release of 'The Interview'
The hackers who broke into Sony Pictures' systems and released numerous secret documents online recently posted a warning message asking the studio not to show "The Interview". The hackers who call themselves as the Guardians of Peace (GOP) also said that if they release the film, it will lead to a war.
The message that the hackers posted on GitHub read: "We have already given our clear demand to the management team of SONY, however, they have refused to accept. It seems that you think everything will be well, if you find out the attacker, while no reacting to our demand. We are sending you our warning again. Do carry out our demand if you want to escape us. And, Stop immediately showing the movie of terrorism which can break the regional peace and cause the War! You, SONY & FBI, cannot find us. We are perfect as much. The destiny of SONY is totally up to the wise reaction & measure of SONY," Business Insider reports.
In the message, the hackers did not mention the name of the film directly, but it is pretty evident o what movie they are referring to. This is the first time that the hackers have demanded the studio to stop from releasing the movie.
In previous instances, North Korean officials have criticized "The Interview" for its plot. The film is scheduled to release widely on Dec. 25. "The Interview" is a comedy that revolves around an assassination plot against North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong-un. It shows James Franco and Seth Rogen playing television journalists who have been asked by the CIA to murder Jong-un while they take his interview.
In the past few days, the hackers have released many private documents of Sony including details about salaries and other information of the company's employees after breaking into the Studio's computers. Sony is working with the FBI to trace the source of the cyber attack.
North Korea has denied being involved in the attack; however it has publically praised the hackers and had issued threats about the movie, Variety reports. Over the weekend, Bloomberg reported that the hackers used an IP address in Thailand to pull off at least part of the attack.
The hackers, along with the warning Monday, also posted a new set of documents that includes a list of aliases used by celebrities in trying to avoid being detected at a hotel or any public place. It was also revealed that the hackers had supposedly sent an e-mail to Sony Pictures just three days before the cyber attack. It was sent on 21 November to the CEO of the studio, Michael Lynton, Chairwoman Amy Pascal and some other company executives.
The email stresses that Sony Pictures had caused "great damage" and that the hackers were looking for reparation. "Pay the damage, or Sony Pictures will be bombarded as a whole," the e-mail reads.
