Was the Sony hack an inside job? Security experts pinpoint a former employee as the hacker involved in the recent Sony Hack.
Despite the U.S. government declaring that North Korea was behind the devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, security experts are arguing that it was an inside job with at least one former employee orchestrating the hack.
According to The Security Ledger, the Security firm Norse claims it has evidence that shows that Sony was hacked by six people, including two based in the U.S., one in Canada, one in Singapore and one in Thailand.
A strong counter-narrative to the official account of the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment has emerged in recent days, with the visage of the petulant North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, replaced by another, more familiar face: former Sony Pictures employees angry over their firing during a recent reorganization at the company.
Researchers from the security firm Norse allege that their investigation of the hack of Sony has uncovered evidence that leads, decisively, away from North Korea as the source of the attack. Instead, the company alleges that a group of six individuals is behind the hack, at least one a former Sony Pictures Entertainment employee who worked in a technical role and had extensive knowledge of the company’s network and operations.
The security company followed HR records, and tracked it down to a former Sony employee who was laid off and posted hateful comments about Sony Pictures.
The Ledger writes: “Researchers from the company followed that individual online, noting angry posts she made on social media about the layoffs and Sony. Through access to IRC (Internet Relay Chat) forums and other sites, they were also able to capture communications with other individuals affiliated with underground hacking and hacktivist groups in Europe and Asia.”
Despite the accusations, Norse’s findings are not 100% confirmed but, the company briefed the FBI about their findings on Monday.
Despite North Korea denying any involvement, the FBI argues that North Korea was behind the Sony hack. In a statement published on Monday, the FBI said: “The FBI has concluded the Government of North Korea is responsible for the theft and destruction of data on the network of Sony Pictures Entertainment.”
“There is no credible information to indicate that any other individual is responsible for this cyber incident,” it added.
As the Security Ledge pointed out, if this security report confirms that North Korea was not involved in the Sony Hack then, “the allegations by Norse deal a serious blow to the government’s account of the incident”.
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