By Logan Elia, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group Litigation and Cyber Law Department
Recently North Korean hackers launched a cyber-attack against Sony Entertainment which resulted in Sony pulling the release of the upcoming Seth Rogen movie, The Interview. The Interview was offensive to North Korea because it’s plots centered around the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It remains to be seen the full economic impact of this attack on Sony. That said, this attack may be less damaging to Sony than what reports indicate. I for one, would rather own the intellectual property rights to The Interview today instead of 6 weeks ago. Today, the movie is the subject of constant reporting and a presidential press conference. Six weeks ago, I barely knew it existed.
Other businesses should take this as a warning and should not hope to be as lucky as Sony. This incident highlights the importance of network security and the real risk of cyber-attacks against private industries. This is not just a concern for government agencies. Other businesses who are attacked may not be so lucky as to become the subject of presidential attention.
American business owners and voters should be careful to ensure this attack is not misused as an excuse for burdensome government regulation of the internet. There have already been calls for legislation at the national level. I encourage business owners to seriously review their internet security measures in place and if they do not have any, to implement the appropriate measures immediately. I also encourage everyone to watch this political issue closely so that we can all work together to ensure that the internet continues to function to promote intellectual exchange and commerce in the future as much as it has today.
