Actor Brad Pitt, background center, waves to fans during a promotional event for his latest film “Fury” in Seoul
The FBI has joined the investigation of a possible North Korean cyber attack that crippled computers at Sony Pictures and led to the theft of some new movies.
“The FBI is working with our interagency partners to investigate the recently reported cyber intrusion at Sony Pictures Entertainment,” the bureau said Monday in an e-mailed statement.
Sony Pictures, based in Culver City, California, is also investigating, including the possibility the breach may involve North Korea, a person with knowledge of the matter said last week. The studio was looking into whether the attack coincides with the release of “The Interview,” a comedy about a CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, the person said.
The World War II drama “Fury” with Brad Pitt was downloaded 500,000 times since the Nov. 25 attack on the Sony’s Corp.’s film-and-TV studio, the news site TorrentFreak said. The leaks, which include the upcoming “Still Alice,” and “Mr. Turner,” will draw viewers from a unit that has been one of Sony’s most reliable profit-makers, with gross ticket revenue up 13 percent this year, according to Box Office Mojo.
“Sony Pictures continues to work through issues related to what was clearly a cyber attack last week,” the studio said Monday in an e-mailed statement. “The company has restored a number of important services to ensure ongoing business continuity and is working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter.”
The hacking incident came to light when a picture of a skull appeared on company computer screens. The image was accompanied by a message saying Sony had been hacked by #GOP, believed to stand for “Guardians of Peace,” and that private data would be released if undisclosed demands weren’t met.
The attack has forced some employees to communicate via text message and private e-mail accounts. The studio’s home entertainment division was able to fulfill Black Friday orders, the person added.
The attack occurred a month before the scheduled release of “The Interview,” a comedy about a CIA plot to kill North Korea’s leader.
The Seth Rogen film, currently being advertised for release in theaters on Dec. 25, features Rogen and James Franco as TV producers who are recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim. Plans for the film drew a rebuke from the country, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying in state media that the release would be an “act of war,” according to the BBC. Anousha Sakoui and Grace Huang , Bloomberg
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