Former Employees Sue Sony over Hacking Scandal

By Isaiah Narciso
Sony

Two employees who used to work at Sony Corp. have filed a lawsuit against their former employer, alleging that the company failed to protect private and confidential information from hackers.

The lawsuit, filed by lawyers representing former Sony employees Michael Corona and Christina Mathis in a Los Angeles federal court on Monday, claimed that the company should have taken proper security measures after being attacked in 2011 and more recently on Dec. 14. According to Eriq Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter, both have spent money for identity theft protection after the hack and are suing on behalf of an estimated 15,000 individuals in addition to themselves.

"An epic nightmare, much better suited to a cinematic thriller than to real life, is unfolding in slow motion for Sony's current and former employees," the filed complaint stated. "Their most sensitive data, including over 47,000 Social Security numbers, employment files including salaries, medical information, and anything else that their employer Sony touched, has been leaked to the public, and may even be in the hands of criminals."

According to Philip Caulfield and Kirthana Ramisetti of New York Daily News, Corona worked for Sony Pictures Entertainment from 2004 to 2007, while Mathis worked for Sony Pictures Consumer Products from 2000 and 2002.

The complaint filed on their behalf puts the blame on Sony for what happened, citing "two inexcusable problems."

"Sony failed to secure its computer systems, servers, and databases ('Network'), despite weaknesses that it has known about for years, because Sony made a 'business decision to accept the risk' of losses associated with being hacked," the complaint stated. "Sony subsequently failed to timely protect confidential information of its current and former employees from law-breaking hackers."

The complaint also mentioned that Sony supposedly "failed to secure its computer systems, servers, and databases, despite weaknesses that it has known about for years."

According to New York Daily News, Corona, who lives in Virginia, argued that hackers gained access to his full name, Social Security Number, birthday, former address, salary history, and other personal information. As for Mathis, who lives in California, she claimed that her Social Security number and former address were stolen.

Gardner reported that the plaintiffs, represented by the law firm of Keller Rohrback, are demanding actual and statutory damages and restitution as a result of negligence, violation of health privacy, and failing to follow a California statute requiring notifications of data breaches.

"They haven't estimated the value of the damages, but they are also demanding equitable relief including forcing Sony to provide credit monitoring for at least five years, identity theft insurance, credit restoration service and requiring Sony receive periodic compliance audits by a third party regarding the security of its computer systems," Gardner wrote.

Related: Sony Cancels Theatrical Release of Seth Rogan's 'The Interview' After Terrorist Threat Links to 9/11 

Gardner added that this lawsuit references internal Sony documents exposed in the leak, which is highly unusual in nature.

"The plaintiffs are attempting to show that Sony knew about security weaknesses and made a business decision to accept the risks despite previous data breaches," Gardner wrote.

According to New York Daily News, Susan Dakow and Yvonne Yaconelli, production managers who worked on films such as Spider-Man and Jerry Maguire, have filed a separate class action lawsuit Tuesday against Sony. While they make the same complaints as Corona and Mathis, they also claimed that The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, could have motivated the cyber-attack against the company in the first place, which is alleged to have come from North Korea.

"Various news reports suggest the original script of 'The Interview' introduced a fake villain, but that Sony specifically changed the script to make North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un the film's villain," the lawsuit stated.

New York Daily News thinks that this lawsuit will explore whether the Rogen-Franco comedy "created an unreasonable risk that Plantiffs' and Class Members' PII (personally identifiable information) would be exposed."

Sony has not commented yet on either of the lawsuits filed against them.

  • [Exclusive Interview] A revelation within the brink of life and death — Meg Leung’s mission in Christian art

    Meg Leung (梁麗橋), an artist with a lifelong love for watercolor painting, sees her art as more than a means of expressing her inner world; it is a bridge connecting her to God. Her artistic journey has revealed God’s perfect plan and inspired her to communicate the power of faith through her wor

  • Transgenderism a fundamental human right? Hong Kong public disagrees, survey finds

    A 2024 survey from the Society for Truth and Light (明光社)'s Center for Life and Ethics Research reveals that respondents from various backgrounds prioritize personal safety and fairness when it comes to transgender issues. When laws involve moral judgments, most respondents believe courts should not make the decisions. The study also indicates that religious believers share similar views with non-religious respondents, reflecting that many churches may rarely address gender topics in depth.

  • Discipleship and Evangelism: Walking the Path of the Great Commission

    Like an ever-flowing spring, the gospel refreshes dry, parched lands and needs our unwavering passion and steadfast faith to transform lives and bring renewal. The "flame in our hearts" calls Christians to keep their faith and love for the Lord ablaze, representing the work and power of the Holy Spirit, driving us to proclaim God's glory boldly.

  • North America Chinese Evangelical Seminary year-end report highlights significant ministry progress

    As the year draws to a close, Rev. James Liu, President of the Chinese Evangelical Seminary North America (CESNA), reflected on the seminary’s remarkable growth and ministry development over the past year. Dedicated to providing theological education to Chinese Christians, CESNA continues to uphold its mission to remain faithful to the gospel and nurture believers. This year’s achievements span academic, ministerial, and outreach endeavors, fostering spiritual growth and advancing missionary wo