On the morning of the 24th of November 2014, Sony PE was the subject of a cyber-attack on an unprecedented scale. The hackers "Guardians of Peace" threatened to reveal confidential and sensitive company information:
"We have obtained all of your internal data including secrets. If you do not obey, we will publish this data. You have until November 24, 23 pm GMT to decide"
The General Management of Sony Pictures Entertainment is facing a major crisis and is forced to manage a crisis considered to be an "unprecedented crime". In very little time this crisis involves the company itself, but also the US Government, various American organizations and North Korea.
Given the complexity of the situation, the multifaceted nature of the crisis, this case demonstrates concretely the importance of developing a prevention mechanism through a business continuity plan, including a IT continuity plan.
This case provides an approach to crisis management in two stages:
1. A diagnosis of the situation with an analysis and synthesis of information on the situation and of the various stakeholders;
2. A proposal to develop a prevention mechanism as part of a business continuity plan (BCP).