WikiLeaks publishes 270,000 more docs from Sony hack attack

PanARMENIAN.Net - WikiLeaks has published another round of documents from the hacking attack that crippled Sony Pictures Entertainment in November, TheWrap reports.

In April, Julian Assange’s site first uploaded over 170,000 documents — mostly emails — from the illegal hack of Sony’s computer system last fall. WikiLeaks is a fully searchable database, which allowed anyone to easily find correspondence between top level Hollywood executives and talent.

The new data dump, announced via Twitter on Thursday, June 18 and consisting of 276,394 files, contains event planning, travel calendars, expense reports and contact details, according to Slash Gear.

Sony had no comment on the new leak, but it condemned Wikileaks’ decision to upload files the first time around.

“The cyber-attack on Sony Pictures was a malicious criminal act, and we strongly condemn the indexing of stolen employee and other private and privileged information on WikiLeaks,” the studio said. “The attackers used the dissemination of stolen information to try to harm SPE and its employees, and now WikiLeaks regrettably is assisting them in that effort. We vehemently disagree with WikiLeaks’ assertion that this material belongs in the public domain and will continue to fight for the safety, security, and privacy of our company and its more than 6,000 employees.”

The data was sourced from existing files made available in late 2014 on file-sharing sites, a hack that the U.S. government has attributed to North Korea allegedly in response to the release of Sony’s “The Interview” and the comedy’s depiction of the assassination of Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The breach was one of the most egregious cyber-attacks on an American corporation in history. The hack also led to the resignation of CEO Amy Pascal after the disclosure of embarrassing email exchanges with producer Scott Rudin about A-list actress/director Angelina Jolie and President Obama’s taste in movies.

Pascal vacated her post in February, with Tom Rothman hired as Sony Motion Picture Chairman three weeks after her departure.

The company is also the target of a class action lawsuit from current and former employees, who allege they were not prepared for or protected before, during and after the hacking.