Sony Pictures Entertainment: Hack of The Century
(Arthur Page Society Case Study Competition)
This case study is about the recent and infamous hack of Sony due to the release of the movie, “The Interview.” It was written in a public relations management class at James Madison University. This case study was one of two selected throughout all of JMU to be submitted to The Arthur W. Page Society’s National Case Study Competition.
On November 24th, 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) faced the worst corporate cyber-attack in the history of the United States. A rogue unit from North Korea, the Guardians of Peace (GOP), hacked Sony, and publicly humiliated the company with the release of personal emails, unreleased movies, client’s records, and executive salaries. Eight total hacks and 38 million files stolen from Sony forced the company to its knees as it was threatened with acts of terrorism. As a result, Sony withdrew from a wide-release of their film The Interview. We examined the crisis communication strategies employed by Sony.