An email sent to Sony Pictures chiefs Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal has emerged in which monetary compensation was demanded days before the studio was crippled in a cyber attack.
“We’ve got great damage by Sony Pictures,” writes “God’sApstls” in the message that was sent Nov. 21, with the subject line: “Notice to Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.”
“The compensation for it, monetary compensation we want,” it continues. “Pay the damage, or Sony Pictures will be bombarded as a whole. You know us very well. We never wait long. You’d better behave wisely.”
The group does not disclose just how much money it was demanding in the email.
SPE president Doug Belgrad; Steven Bersch, president of Sony Pictures worldwide acquisitions; and president of production, Michael De Luca also received the email.
Mashable was first to publish the email, which was reportedly found in new documents released by hackers on Monday.
While a group called Guardians of Peace is said to be behind the Nov. 24 attack, “God’sApstls” is found in the malware software that was used to break into Sony’s computers and steal data before erasing thousands of sensitive documents from the company’s harddrives.
A separate message sent by GOP referenced an earlier warning, perhaps the one sent Nov. 21.
That message read: “We’ve already warned you, and this is just the beginning.”
