UPDATED 23:34 EDT / DECEMBER 07 2014

Thailand NEWS

Sony hack traced to Thailand as company says the attack was unprecedented

ThailandThe devastating hacking of Sony Corp’s internal systems has taken an interesting turn, with a source of the hacking being tracked to Bangkok, Thailand.

The hack, which started late November is reported to have been traced to the 4 1/2 star St. Regis Hotel in Bangkok on December 1st, the dates where the hackers first started leaking hacked documents online.

It’s not clear whether the hackers were staying at the hotel or were using the business center, but if they hadn’t hacked into the St. Regis network itself the hotel only offers paid internet access at 400 Thai Baht ($12.10) a day.

The information leaked from the hotel included data on 47,000 Sony employees, contractors, and a range of Hollywood celebrities that have worked with the company.

The emergence of the news would give credence to the suggestion that the hacking may have been State sponsored by North Korea:  the hackers behind it seem to have an ample source of funds to be able to afford to travel throughout Asia without slumming it.

While Sony refuses to officially go on the record on the hack, an internal memo leaked to Re/Code calls the attack “unprecedented in nature” and an “unparalleled crime.”

The memo, from Sony CEO Michael Lynton featuring details from security expert Kevin Mandia, states to staff that “The malware was undetectable by industry standard antivirus software and was damaging and unique enough to cause the FBI to release a flash alert to warn other organizations of this critical threat.”

Mandia continues: “In fact, the scope of this attack differs from any we have responded to in the past, as its purpose was to both destroy property and release confidential information to the public. The bottom line is that this was an unparalleled and well planned crime, carried out by an organized group, for which neither SPE nor other companies could have been fully prepared.”

Sony is utilising FireEye’s Mandiant unit to assist it with recovering from the attack.

photo credit: modus via photopin cc


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