It is still uncertain who launched the attack against Sony, but there is a good chance that it was North Korea retaliating against “The Interview.”
There are a few ways in which this attack can be handled. One is that the government can start a cyber war with North Korea. That option is not very promising. This country has been involved in far too many wars lately. Another option is to simply improve security protocols. That must be done. There have simply been far too many successful hacking attempts lately and we need better methods of protecting our systems.
However, there is a way for the people to wage “war” directly and nonviolently. It is the best possible way to wage a war against someone who is trying to block the free exchange of ideas: make sure those ideas are spread far and wide. Sony could “win” this battle quite easily if it wanted to. They pulled the movie, which may or may not have had a large viewership. Honestly, I can’t see it having been all that successful. But a movie that would not have been successful on its own can become very successful with a little bit of help from the Streisand effect. Leak a low quality version of the film onto the internet. North Korea’s actions regarding this movie are more than enough to make it a popular download, especially combined with the fact that it was pulled from theaters. Wait for the movie to spread across the globe. THEN after North Korea has lost the battle, release it in theaters as a special edition or release it directly to disc.
It’s really a win/win situation for Sony. Sales will most likely be far higher than they would have been without North Korea’s involvement, and that is a win for Sony directly and a direct jab at North Korea. Will Sony take this advice? Probably it. It’s most likely going to play it safe. But if the interview is ever leaked, it will be interesting to see just how fast it spreads.
1. The First Amendment (Politicoid)