Sony attack linked to North Korea, theaters bail over terrorism threat
U.S. intelligence officials are reportedly going to link North Korea with the cyber attacks against Sony and movie theaters have delayed The Interview showings for an undetermined amount of time.
It's becoming increasingly clear that terrorism and cyber attacks are blending together. The New York Times is reporting that intelligence officials have pegged North Korea as a central figure in the Sony attacks. However, Wired reported that the evidence may be flimsy at best.
As Charlie Osborne noted on Wednesday, cyber attacks morphing into terrorism threats has created some uncharted territory. You can't blame the movie theaters for not showing The Interview. Who wants to risk a terrorism event and potentially cost lives?
Carmike Cinemas had a straightforward statement:
The top priority for Carmike Cinemas is to ensure that our valued guests may enjoy the entertainment of their choosing in a safe and comfortable environment. Carmike must take threats against movie theatres very seriously and the recent unprecedented cyber-attacks against Sony Pictures are no exception. Therefore, in an abundance of caution, Carmike will delay the exhibition of "The Interview."
But the broader question is what playbook should be used for these cyber attacks from nation states. It's also unclear who should use the playbook. Enterprises are going to shore up defenses, but the reality is that some of these attacks are novel enough to get around whatever wall is put up.
Governments have cyber security plans and defenses, but at times they're as behind the curve as businesses.
The attack on Sony may look like a run-of-the-mill event five years from now. How the response to the Sony attack forms may ultimately be the key cyber security event.
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