# Sony hackers take on a terroristic tone! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435 "2014-12-16T20:41:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/1 "2014-12-16T20:41:31Z")
> **[New York premiere of 'The Interview' canceled](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/12/16/sony-hackers-threaten-movie-theaters/20485591/)** > > The Guardians of Peace warn of a 9/11-type attack on theaters showing 'The Interview.' > [@Hackers](#): > > Warning > > We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places “The Interview” be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. > > Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. > > The world will be full of fear. > > Remember the 11th of September 2001. > > We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. > > (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) > > Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. > > All the world will denounce the SONY. Basically threaten theaters that show Seth Rogen’s movie, _The Interview_ with 9/11 type terror. ETA: I’m guessing Homeland Security steps up their investigation efforts on this now. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/2 "2014-12-16T21:20:47Z")
Is the hacker a native speaker of English do you think, trying to make their English sound awkward, to cast suspicion on being of non-English speaking origin? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/3 "2014-12-16T21:28:16Z")
Could just be a group of college kids trying to be funny… I think that we will ultimately find out at some point who is behind it. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/4 "2014-12-17T01:43:50Z")
That’s a good marketing campaign, pretend the studio is being threatened by “terrorists”, that way more people will consider seeing the movie as a sort of “screw you” to the supposed “terrorists” It’s highly probable that absolutely nothing will happen anyway ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/5 "2014-12-17T01:45:46Z")
Who knows, but if it is backed by North Korea this type of ridiculous, clunky, broken Engrish propaganda is typical of them, oh great leader who makes the Sun come up!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/6 "2014-12-17T01:46:28Z")
Yeah, I don’t want to make predictions but this sounds pretty hoaxy to me. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/7 "2014-12-17T03:58:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Carmike Cinemas has canceled the nationwide Christmas Day release of Sony’s “The Interview,” the first theater chain to do so on the day hackers threatened 9/11-like attacks on theaters that showed the movie, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap. > > – snip – > > The Columbus, Georgia–based chain has 276 theaters with 2,904 screens. An individual with knowledge of the situation said Sony was prepared to go forward with the release, but Carmike responded they were pulling their dates. [Carmike Theater Chain Drops Sony's ‘The Interview’ After Hackers' Terror Threat - TheWrap](http://www.thewrap.com/carmike-theater-chain-cancels-the-interview-release-after-hackers-threaten-terror-strikes/) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/8 "2014-12-17T04:01:02Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Who knows, but if it is backed by North Korea this type of ridiculous, clunky, broken Engrish propaganda is typical of them, **oh great leader who makes the Sun come up!!** 😃 I thought it that was the State Concubine’s job. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/9 "2014-12-17T17:01:57Z")
Bigger picture view… If this works, I see the dawning of a new age of warfare: Hackers for hire to overthrow your government by hacking the IRS and giving everyone a refund, bankrupting the corrupt regime. Or less grandiose but still evil: we can’t beat our competition but we can hack and release all their company secrets to the internet and show how the CEO calls his customers “sheeple” and plays golf on the company’s private plane on Mondays. If these hackers are not caught and made examples of, they get away with stopping or delaying a major movie release by hacking. And others will surely try and duplicate and then top that. I am intrigued by this story and will be watching it closely. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/10 "2014-12-17T17:26:15Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Bigger picture view… > > …and show how the CEO calls his customers “sheeple” and plays golf on the company’s private plane on Mondays. That’d be one big airplane. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/11 "2014-12-17T21:44:31Z")
The threat won’t just negatively impact Sony and that particular movie, but all other movies that are out during that time. People will stay away from the theater itself, not just the particular screens that _The Interview_ are showing on, during a time which is considered a high movie going time. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/12 "2014-12-17T22:01:10Z")
[Most of the country’s largest theater chains have decided not to show Sony’s “The Interview” next week](http://money.cnn.com/2014/12/17/media/the-interview-sony-theater-owners/). According to the article, at least three major chains and several smaller ones have decided not to show the move next week, although some have indicated that they might show it eventually. Other chains, including AMC, are still thinking it over. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/13 "2014-12-17T22:04:29Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > That’s a good marketing campaign, pretend the studio is being threatened by “terrorists”, that way more people will consider seeing the movie as a sort of “screw you” to the supposed “terrorists” > > It’s highly probable that absolutely nothing will happen anyway I’ve read theories about it being a marketing campaign, but that does seem less and less likely, considering all the theaters that will no longer show the movie. I agree that it’s highly probable that no terrorist attacks will happen. But what I am worried about happening is that it will affect movie studios willingness to make and release certain movies. If a movie like Team America World Police was being considered to make it now, the studio might get nervous and pull the plug. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/14 "2014-12-17T22:25:08Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > … > If these hackers are not caught and made examples of, they get away with stopping or delaying a major movie release by hacking… The hackers are in North Korea, or possibly China. They may be outed, but not caught. There aren’t many movies that anybody would have motive to attack in this manner, but I won’t be surprised when copycat attacks pop up. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/15 "2014-12-17T22:29:40Z")
Ah. As discussed over [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743821), Sony is pulling the 12/25 release. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/16 "2014-12-17T22:29:41Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > The hackers are in North Korea, or possibly China. They may be outed, but not caught. There aren’t many movies that anybody would have motive to attack in this manner, but I won’t be surprised when copycat attacks pop up. I don’t think there’s an real evidence that these guys are from NK or China, aside from what some pundits are saying. Just a bunch of hacktivists having fun yanking Sony’s chain around. Probably threatened to release more mildly embarrassing emails if the didn’t pull the movie, just to see if they’d do it. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/17 "2014-12-17T22:40:42Z")
According to the Dutch newspaper “De Telegraaf” (yeah, it’s the Dutch equivalent of the “Daily Mail”, but anyway…), “The Interview” will be premiered nationwide in The Netherlands on January 29, 2015, as planned. Link (in Dutch): [http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/23462129/\_\_The\_Interview\_nu\_te\_zien\_in\_NL\_\_.html](http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/23462129/ __The_Interview_nu_te_zien_in_NL__.html) In Spain, the plans are still to premiere “The Interview” on February 13. I guess that the US premiere will be delayed, but that it will be shown in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/18 "2014-12-18T01:02:07Z")
I have a simple solution. Since it’s been hacked anyway release it to the public for free. The more they try to suppress it the more people will want to see it. Then download it to flash drives and give it away free to NK smugglers. Shove it up their digital bum and rotate. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/19 "2014-12-18T01:26:55Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > I don’t think there’s an real evidence that these guys are from NK or China, aside from what some pundits are saying. Just a bunch of hacktivists having fun yanking Sony’s chain around. Probably threatened to release more mildly embarrassing emails if the didn’t pull the movie, just to see if they’d do it. The New York Times is reporting that US intelligence has linked it to North Korea ([mobile link](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/us-links-north-korea-to-sony-hacking.html?_r=0&referrer=)) You actually thought it was anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435/20 "2014-12-18T01:28:28Z")
According to some news reports out today, the US government now knows North Korea is behind these attacks. They aren’t sure if/when they will come forward with an accusation. Partly because (supposedly) the US doesn’t want to reveal details about its own cyberwar capabilities it used to find this out. > **[U.S. Said to Find North Korea Ordered Cyberattack on Sony (Published 2014)](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/us-links-north-korea-to-sony-hacking.html)** > > American intelligence officials have concluded that the government of Kim Jong-un was “centrally involved” in the attacks on the film company’s computers. Time for another beer summit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-hackers-take-on-a-terroristic-tone/707435.md?page=2)