On November 24, 2014, the hacker group Guardians of Peace publicly compromised Sony Pictures Entertainment after gaining access for at least two months, according to U.S. investigators. Attackers copied confidential emails, executive salaries, unreleased films, screenplays, and employee records, then deployed a Shamoon variant that rendered computers inoperable and erased infrastructure. Sony told employees on December 8 that names, addresses, Social Security numbers, financial details, and medical information may have been accessed; C-SPAN reported that 47,000 unique Social Security numbers were stolen. Four former employees filed lawsuits in December 2014 alleging Sony failed to protect their data.
The attackers demanded that Sony withdraw The Interview, a comedy depicting an assassination attempt against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and issued threats referencing terrorist attacks against theaters. After major chains declined to screen it, Sony canceled the December 18 premiere and December 25 wide release, then authorized roughly 300 independent theaters and digital platforms to distribute the film on December 23–24. The FBI formally attributed the attack to the North Korean government on December 19, citing malware, techniques, and network activity associated with North Korean operations; North Korea denied responsibility. Sony set aside $15 million for continuing damages in early 2015, strengthened its security systems, and co-chair Amy Pascal announced her departure effective May 2015. The breach also exposed internal communications and business negotiations, producing lasting reputational and legal consequences beyond the stolen data itself.
