Sony (Photo : Reuters)
Whistleblowing website, WikiLeaks, dumped more than 30,000 hacked Sony documents into the public domain, according to NBC News.
The leak includes more than 173,132 emails sent and received from more than 2,200 email addresses used by Sony Pictures. The documents are now archived in the WikiLeaks' searchable database.
WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange said in a statement, "This archive shows the inner workings of an influential multinational corporation. It is newsworthy and at the center of a geo-political conflict." Assange added that the documents are now part of the public domain and WikiLeaks will ensure that it will be kept that way.
Sony Pictures was quick to issue a response condemning the actions of WikiLeaks. Sony's statement said that the emails were obtained through illegal means and WikiLeaks is, in essence, assisting an illegal activity. The company added that, contrary to WikiLeaks' claim, the leaked emails does not belong to the public domain.
The leaked emails include conversation that provides evidence of Sony's connection with the Democratic Party. One of the emails contain a solicitation letter asking Sony executives to donate $50,000 in order to support the anti-piracy campaign of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
A considerable portion of the leak contains information about the entertainment industry, more specifically the movie industry. It reveals information about upcoming Sony titles as well as TV shows produced by the company's rivals, according to USA Today.
A similar leak happened in December 2014 when a group of rogue hackers known as Guardians of Peace managed to infiltrate Sony's computer system. The hack brought massive amounts of internal Sony data including Social Security numbers of more than 47,000 employees.
An investigation carried out by the United States government traced the attack back to North Korea.
