Dear Lil' Kim: Come and get me!

[Bill Glasheen]

By now you've probably heard the brouhaha about The Interview.

..... The Interview Official Trailer (2014) - Seth Rogen, James Franco Movie HD

Apparently they've tweaked the nose of Lil' Kim (Kim Jong Un - the dictator of DPRK, a.k.a. North Korea) and he's throwing a tantrum. Allegedly his cyberwarriors hacked into Sony, trashed some files, and released a bunch of embarassing emails.

(NEWSFLASH -- Don't put anything in print - even if "private" - that you don't want the whole world to see.)

And then the merry warriors from DPRK just threatened 9/11-style events at moving theatres showing The Interview. They're warning everyone living close to these theatres to stay away.

And then this...

The four largest movie theater chains in the United States won’t show the Sony Corp. comedy “The Interview,” according to a person familiar with the matter.

The big movie exhibitors plan to ask Sony Pictures to postpone the Dec. 25 release of the movie.

* Regal Entertainment Group , AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc. and Carmike Cinemas Inc. won’t show the movie, the person said.

The chains planning to cancel “The Interview” showings operate more than 18,000 screens in the U.S.

Sooo...

Dear Lil' Kim and your Oh-So-Mighty Cyberwarriors:

Whether or not Regal cancels, I've made my purchase and have a receipt. I will show up - cancel or not - to ask for the services I paid for. If you don't like, here's where you'll find me.

3 Adult ticket(s) to:
The Interview (R)
Time: 7:45pm
Date: Thursday, December 25, 2014
UA West Tower Cinemas 10
8998 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23294
844­462­7342

Love and Kisses,
Billy

[Bill Glasheen]

Sony Pulls Korea Film ‘The Interview;’ U.S. Blames Pyongyang for Hack
Studio Scraps Dec. 25 Debut After Terrorist Threats Prompted Movie Chains to Skip Film

Well so much for our First Amendment... Sony caves and cancels release of the film.

The Hollywood left donated a fortune to Obama, and he left them hanging in the wind when they needed to cash in a favor. I'm shocked!! (not)

Stay tuned.

- Bill

P.S. - I have a bone to pick as well with the executives over in the land of the rising sun.

[Bill Glasheen]

This thread wasn't started on a whim. More to come.

This is an excerpt from an article recently published online.

Sony Hack Shines Light on North Korea’s Cyber Attackers
Cyber-Warfare Work Is Coveted Among Elite Youth in North Korea

By JEYUP S. KWAAK
Dec. 17, 2014 11:42 p.m. ET

SEOUL—North Korea selects some of its brightest talent for cyberwarfare training and has allocated significant resources to the program as its conventional forces age and become increasingly obsolete, defectors and experts say.

The U.S.’s conclusion that North Korea was responsible for the massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment has turned the spotlight on cyber operations run by Pyongyang and its emphasis on asymmetric warfare capabilities to maintain its ability to threaten South Korea and others.

Late last year, South Korea’s intelligence service quoted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as saying that cyberwarfare capabilities are “a magic weapon” along with nuclear capabilities that enable Pyongyang to threaten South Korea, according to lawmaker Cho Won-Jin of the ruling Saenuri Party who was briefed by the agency.

Kim Heung-kwang, a former computer science professor in North Korea, says that working as a cyberwarrior is a highly-coveted position among North Korean elite youth. Mr. Kim, who defected to the South in 2004, says that he taught a range of programming subjects such as data encryption and transmission. His finest students were sent to China or Russia to hone their craft before returning to serve in cyberwarfare, he said.

“[Working as a cyberwarrior] guarantees a certain level of quality of life. You can freely use computers and travel overseas. It’s an advantageous position for future career promotion,” said Mr. Kim. While computers are becoming more prevalent in North Korea, access to the Internet is limited to a tiny fraction of the elite.

U.S. investigators suspect Unit 121 of North Korea’s military spy agency, the General Bureau of Reconnaissance, is behind the attack on Sony . The division is also suspected by South Korea for staging a series of disruptive attacks in recent years on Seoul government websites, banks and broadcasters.

...

Asymmetrical warfare. Hmm... where have we seen this euphemism before?

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

the fog of war
phrase of fog
1. confusion caused by the chaos of war or battle.
"he argues that the fog of war clouded everyone's judgment"

FACT
DPRK cyberwarriors succeeded in hacking into Sony computers, releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating copies of various films. It cost Sony much in terms of reputation and future revenue on film rights.

FACT
DPRK cyberwarriors used sophisticated hacking techniques to do this. They likely learned it from some of the best.

FACT
DPRK could continue cyberattacks on other industries such as film distribution companies.

NOT FACT
DPRK could conduct a 9/11-style attack on moviegoers in the United States.

Psyche!

Sony and the major film distribution companies just got schooled by a blustering buffoon.



- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

Lil' Kim gets no free pass from me. If I have to leak parts of this film just to tweak his nose, well so be it.

..... Kim Jong-un death scene from film "The Interview" leaks online

You're sitting on your material, Sony. The rest of the world won't. Get on with it!

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

..... Dancing Kim Jong Un

[Bill Glasheen]

..... Kim Jong Un Wants This Video Removed From The Internet

[Stryke]

what a non event ......


can you point to a confirmation this is state sponsored terrorism ?

All I see so far is a movie no one cared about is now a must see

devils advocate mode because it deserves a response , good thread Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

good thread Bill

Greetings, my friend!

what a non event ......

At this point, estimates are Sony alone has lost or will lose on the order of $100 million. And this is assuming no actual attack happens in a movie theatre. Last time some maroon fired a weapon in a theatre, the trial lawyers went trolling for trailer trash and sued everyone and everything in sight.

can you point to a confirmation this is state sponsored terrorism ?

Stay tuned. An announcement from our government is forthcoming this morning.

All I see so far is a movie no one cared about is now a must see

If the cancellation of this movie is reversed, Sony could stand to make up their losses and then some. Talk about free publicity...

This movie is no worse than Blazing Saddles, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. All became cult classics. Sometimes stupid is chic. In this case, the lowbrow, slapstick nature of the film is what you call cinematic license. (See Artistic license.) Without being as over-the-top as it is, this movie wouldn't be able to get away with what it (jokingly) suggests.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

..... 'The Interview': Feds Prepared to Blame North Korea for Sony Attack

An official statement from within the Justice Department is expected to be released today, just hours before President Obama takes questions at a year-end press conference. The statement expected to be released today will lay out at least some of the evidence the U.S. government has uncovered tying North Korea to the attack, sources said.

In particular, the statement will say the intrusion into Sony had specific signatures of a North Korean style hack, and that investigators discovered the hack was identical to a series of other attacks in South Korea last year that they are certain were carried out by North Korea.

***

It’s unclear what role North Korea’s army of cyber soldiers – known as “Bureau 121” – may have played in the intrusion. But some of the techniques and computer codes used in the Sony penetration are similar to those used by the North Korean military unit in previous cyber-attacks in South Korea, sources told ABC News.

[Bill Glasheen]

BREAKING
FBI says North Korea was behind hack of Sony Pictures

[Bill Glasheen]

can you point to a confirmation this is state sponsored terrorism ?

Here you go, Marcus, hot off the press.

FBI Says North Korea Behind Sony Hack
U.S. Considering Steps to Take in Response, But ‘There Are Few Good Options’

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Updated Dec. 19, 2014 12:16 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday evidence points to North Korea as the culprit behind a hack of Sony Pictures that led the studio to pull the movie “The Interview” out of theaters.

“The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,’’ the agency said in a statement.

The public finger-pointing escalates the conflict between the two countries. Officials previously said the North Korean government had emerged as the prime suspect in the hack, which exposed embarrassing internal emails between executives. The hacking culminated in a threat of violence at movie theaters that screened the movie, which involves a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The Obama administration is considering what steps to take in response to the hack, but there are few good options, according to people involved in the discussions, in part because North Korea’s regime is already very isolated from world affairs.

While the Sony hack is viewed as a national security matter given it involves a computer attack by a foreign nation against a U.S. company, it doesn’t fit the definition of critical infrastructure attacks U.S. officials have previously contemplated, such as an attack against a utility company, a stock exchange, or a part of the transportation grid.

In the lengthy statement, the FBI shared some of the evidence pointing to North Korea.

An analysis of malware that deleted data on Sony computers shows similarities to other malware used previously by North Korean suspects, including lines of code, encryption algorithms, data deletion methods, and compromised networks, the FBI said.

Investigators also found “significant overlap” between the infrastructure of the Sony attack and other hacking previously linked to North Korea, including Internet protocol addresses that were part of the data deletion malware.

The FBI also found similarities to a cyberattack in March 2013 on South Korean banks and media outlets. The FBI had already concluded that this attack was carried out by North Korea.

“We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there,’’ the statement said.

“The destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart,’’ the FBI said. “North Korea’s actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves. Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior. The FBI takes seriously any attempt—whether through cyber-enabled means, threats of violence, or otherwise—to undermine the economic and social prosperity of our citizens.’’

Write to Devlin Barrett at devlin.barrett@wsj.com

- WSJ

[Bill Glasheen]

Words of strength and wisdom from our Jellyfish in Chief. Wow... throw your Hollywood contributors under the bus, Barry. They must love you now! (Emphasis in red my own.)

President Barack Obama criticized Sony Pictures Friday for pulling a movie out of theaters in response to a hack attack U.S. officials blame on North Korea, saying it sets a bad precedent and could encourage further censorship.

Mr. Obama, speaking at his final news conference of the year, said he was sympathetic to the problem Sony faced but said, “Yes, I think they made a mistake.”

He also said the U.S. would hit back at North Korea, but declined to say how or when.

“They caused a lot of damage and we will respond. We will respond proportionately and we will respond in a place and time and manner we choose,” the president said.

The president’s comments came hours after the Federal Bureau of Investigation said evidence points to the North Korean government as the culprit behind a hack that exposed internal Sony emails and made threats against theaters that offered the film “The Interview,” a dark comedy about a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States, because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary they don’t like, or news reports they don’t like,” Mr. Obama said.

Meanwhile... I have three tickets I purchased for a Christmas viewing of The Interview, and neither Fandango nor Regal Cinemas have refunded my credit card purchase. Methinks I can have some fun with this. Stay tuned.

- Bill

P.S. Gonna send some goons my way for a Christmas greeting, Lil' Kim??? See address and time above.

[Bill Glasheen]

..... Hollywood Cowardice: George Clooney Explains Why Sony Stood Alone In North Korean Cyberterror Attack

Excerpts from the above article.

DEADLINE: I’ve been chasing the story of the petition you were circulating for a week now. Where is it, and how were these terrorists able to isolate Sony from the herd and make them so vulnerable?
CLOONEY: Here’s the brilliant thing they did. You embarrass them first, so that no one gets on your side. After the Obama joke, no one was going to get on the side of Amy, and so suddenly, everyone ran for the hills. Look, I can’t make an excuse for that joke, it is what it is, a terrible mistake. Having said that, it was used as a weapon of fear, not only for everyone to disassociate themselves from Amy but also to feel the fear themselves. They know what they themselves have written in their emails, and they’re afraid.

DEADLINE: What happened when you sent the petition, and who did you ask to sign it?
CLOONEY: It was a large number of people. It was sent to basically the heads of every place. They told Bryan Lourd, “I can’t sign this.” What? How can you not sign this? I’m not going to name anyone, that’s not what I’m here to do, but nobody signed the letter, which I’ll read to you right now.

On November 24 of this year, Sony Pictures was notified that it was the victim of a cyber attack, the effects of which is the most chilling and devastating of any cyber attack in the history of our country. Personal information including Social Security numbers, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and the full texts of emails of tens of thousands of Sony employees was leaked online in an effort to scare and terrorize these workers. The hackers have made both demands and threats. The demand that Sony halt the release of its upcoming comedy The Interview, a satirical film about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Their threats vary from personal—you better behave wisely—to threatening physical harm—not only you but your family is in danger. North Korea has not claimed credit for the attack but has praised the act, calling it a righteous deed and promising merciless measures if the film is released. Meanwhile the hackers insist in their statement that what they’ve done so far is only a small part of our further plan. This is not just an attack on Sony. It involves every studio, every network, every business and every individual in this country. That is why we fully support Sony’s decision not to submit to these hackers’ demands. We know that to give in to these criminals now will open the door for any group that would threaten freedom of expression, privacy and personal liberty. We hope these hackers are brought to justice but until they are, we will not stand in fear. We will stand together.

DEADLINE: That doesn’t sound like a hard paper to sign.
CLOONEY: All that it is basically saying is, we’re not going to give in to a ransom. As we watched one group be completely vilified, nobody stood up. Nobody took that stand. Now, I say this is a situation we are going to have to come to terms with, a new paradigm and a new way of handling our business. Because this could happen to an electric company, a car company, a newsroom. It could happen to anybody.

[Bill Glasheen]

Sony's reply to Obama's gutless statement. This is encouraging.

UPDATE, 2:00PM: Following a very public rebuke from President Obama for caving to terrorist demands, Sony Pictures said today it is committed to getting The Interview seen by audiences. Two days ago, a studio spokesperson basically said the movie was dead, telling Deadline, “Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film.” Here’s the studio’s official statement, on the heels of CEO Michael Lynton’s defensive appearance on CNN (read his remarks below):


“Sony Pictures Entertainment is and always has been strongly committed to the First Amendment. For more than three weeks, despite brutal intrusions into our company and our employees’ personal lives, we maintained our focus on one goal: getting the film The Interview released. Free expression should never be suppressed by threats and extortion.

The decision not to move forward with the December 25 theatrical release of The Interview was made as a result of the majority of the nation’s theater owners choosing not to screen the film. This was their decision.

Let us be clear – the only decision that we have made with respect to release of the film was not to release it on Christmas Day in theaters, after the theater owners declined to show it. Without theaters, we could not release it in the theaters on Christmas Day. We had no choice.

After that decision, we immediately began actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform. It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so.”