Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.
In 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment faced a cyber attack from North Korea prior to the release of The Interview, a film that discusses the personality of North Koreas dictator, Kim Jong Un. In addition to the cyberattack that caused millions of losses for the company, Sony also faced a threat from the terrorists that several theaters that will show the film will be attacked. Sonys response to the threats included canceling the films release and switching to video-on-demand outlets. Some suggested that canceling the films release creates a dangerous precedent of a large company submitting to terrorist orders. However, while the companys solution partially allowed them to disobey the terrorists order, it also displayed how terrorists plans can be prevented through technological development.
In my opinion, Sonys response was appropriate for the situation, as it could be acknowledged as the use of the opponents weapon against him. Therefore, while the terrorists used cyberattacks to steal the companys information and destroy their equipment, Sony switched the release to on-demand platforms and streaming services, allowing a speedy and widespread release of the film. As on-demand videos are easier to pirate, the films pirate copies quickly spread across the internet, making film easier to access and more discussed across different countries and segments of the population. In addition, the films plot turned out to be more appealing to comedy than satire, influencing the publics opinion about the earlier threats from North Korea. In my opinion, Sonys response to the attack was appropriate for the situation and politicly addressed several concerns.
Furthermore, while the case is complicated by presenting a real terrorist threat to the population, there are certain things that Sony and the U.S. government could have done differently to discourage future such attacks on other U.S. organizations. Firstly, Sony never publicly acknowledged that The Interview is a satire that has no connection with reality and does not threaten North Koreas political regime. Instead, it seemed that the company used unexpected publicity to market a relatively insignificant comedy film. Therefore, by initially canceling the films release date, the company set a negative precedent of a major company submitting to terrorist demands.
Next, considering the governments role in Sonys case, the issue should have raised attention to the cyber security problem in both governmental structures and large business corporations. Instead of acknowledging that the issue was Sonys problem, analyzing the breach and constructing new cyber security policies for the governmental organizations could have helped prevent other attacks in the future. For example, it could have prevented the 2016 controversy with foreign interference in the presidential election (Stengel). Therefore, by focusing on Sonys financial losses instead of similar potential threats in the future, the U.S. government exposed the cyber security issues that contributed to future cyberattacks.
In conclusion, the case of Sonys response to the cyberattack demonstrates the importance of prompt identification of the issue and its consequences. The case also displays how a creative approach to a problem that simultaneously addresses several concerns is not always the right choice. Furthermore, preventing both real-world terrorist violence and cyberattacks requires a collective effort of the U.S. government and business organizations. The possible measures include regulation of governmental and private organizations cyber security to achieve higher data protection standards. Through collective efforts and sufficient budgeting, organizations can develop more advanced cyber security and supervision systems and implement them in a short period of time, preventing future real-world terrorist violence and cyberattacks.
Work Cited
Stengel, Richard. The Untold Story of Sony Hack: How North Koreas Battle with Seth Rogen and George Clooney Foreshadowed Russian Election Meddling in 2016. Vanity Fair, 2019.
Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?
We have qualified writers to help you.
We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.
You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)
NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.
NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.