An analysis by a data-technology firm of over 33,000 documents stolen in last week’s high-profile cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment turned up the Social Security numbers of 47,000 current and former employees of the film studio, including those of actor Sylvester Stallone, director Judd Apatow, and actress Rebel Wilson.
Identity Finder LLC’s examination of the leaked Sony documents also revealed the salaries and home address of current and former employees, as well as the budget for the upcoming film The Interview and syndication contracts for the TV show Seinfeld, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Thousands of corporate documents and five new feature-length films were stolen and leaked online in the November 24th cyber attack against Sony.
According to the Journal, 1.1 million Social Security numbers are listed in the documents. However, many of them are repeats. CEO Michael Lynton’s Social Security number appears 93 times, all in non-password protected documents, while co-chairman Amy Pascal’s appears 104 separate times.
Identity Finder CEO Todd Feinman told the paper that large companies’ focus on virus prevention often leads them to neglect the vulnerability of servers containing sensitive information.
“The number one reason this happens is because companies have so much historical data and they don’t even know where it is,” Feinman said. “You’re just making hackers’ lives so much easier.”
The FBI, Sony, and computer-security firm FireEye are all leading investigations into the breach. According to the Journal, investigators believe North Korea may have played a role in the cyber attack, with the code used in the attack being nearly identical to code used in a March, 2013 hacking operation against South Korea. South Korea blamed North Korea in that attack.
Last week, an unnamed journalist writing for the North Korean government-controlled newspaper Uriminzokkiri blasted the upcoming Sony film The Interview, calling it “an evil act of provocation” and an “insult against our righteous people.” The comedy follows the exploits of two celebrity television producers who secure a Pyongyang interview with leader Kim Jong Un, and then, at the U.S. government’s behest, attempt to assassinate him.
Among the documents leaked online was the budget for the film; according to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie cost $44 million to produce, with Rogen earning $8.4 million and Franco taking in $6.5 million.
Representatives from Sony have not yet commented on the discovery of the Social Security numbers. A spokeswoman for the company told the Wall Street Journal on Monday that the company “continues to work through issues related to what was clearly a cyberattack last week. The company has restored a number of important services to ensure ongoing business continuity and is working closely with law enforcement officials to investigate the matter.”
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