Hackers attack Sony Pictures’ computers, blackmail studio

Employees at Sony Pictures were greeted with a strange picture as they tried to login to their computers yesterday; their computers had become completely unresponsive, showing a glowering CGI skeleton, a series of URL addresses, and a threatening message from a hacker group that identified itself as #GOP.

Sony Twitter accounts by the scores were also commandeered to tweet out similar messages, although Sony seemed to have regained control of those accounts.

According to early reports from Sony employees the studio had not been able to regain computer access.

The hacker group appeared to have obtained a number of sensitive documents from Sony Pictures, many of which are named in a .zip file shared at the posted URLs, and was threatening to release them if Sony failed to  comply with the group's demands, which were still not clear.

The documents named in the .zip file vary widely, indicating the attackers had full access to the contents of an employee server. Dozens of podcast mp3 files were named along with potentially sensitive records and password files, the latter of which would explain how the group came to commandeer so many Twitter accounts at once.

iknowtoday.com reported the hackers left the following message on the computers of the media company:

"Hacked By #GOP. Warning: We've already wasned you, and this is just a beggining.We continue till our request be met.

"We've obtained all your Internal data, Including your secrets and top secrets.

If you don't obey us, we'll release data shown below to the world.

Determine what will you do till November the 24th, 11:00 PM (GMT)"

The attack not only targeted the computers in Sony's offices, but there were reports of similar messages having been posted on a few of Sony Pictures' Twitter feeds, accusing Michael Lynton (CEO of Sony Entertainment Inc) of being a criminal.

The hackers – #GOP, had given the company until 11 PM to obey and though the deadline had passed, and there was no word about any further actions against the company.

Commentators are asking whether this could be a diversion to distract attention from another, sneakier attack, or there would other action from the hackers follow.