Sony Hacking Attack, First a Nuisance, Swiftly Grew Into a Firestorm

For days the hacking episode was viewed inside Sony as little more than a colossal annoyance. Though Sony executives were quickly in touch with federal law enforcement officials, the company’s initial focus was on setting up jury-rigged systems to let it limp through what was expected to be a few days or weeks of inconvenience. Sony CEO Michael Lynton and his colleagues underestimated the ferocity of the interaction between the news media and the hackers as the drama unfolded in December. Hackers released the information to traffic-hungry websites, which published the most embarrassing details, while Sony mostly stayed publicly silent. In the end, "The Interview" may be seen by more viewers than if it had experienced an unimpeded, conventional release, particularly if, as studio executives suspect, those who paid for the film online were joined by friends and family. Now, five weeks into the episode, Sony’s internal technology is still impaired. Executives estimate that a return to normal is at least five to seven weeks away.