This past month hasn’t been the best for Sony, not only was the company hit with a massive cyberattack that resulted in the theft of millions of private emails and digital property, but its PlayStation Network online multiplayer service has been experiencing repeated down times. While these two attacks were believed to be separate, new evidence suggests that they may be linked.
Data that helped hackers access Sony’s internal network came from another group targeting the firm’s gaming network, reports the Washington Post. In an interview, a self-proclaimed Lizard Squad member said it had given stolen data to the Guardians of Peace. The GoP has carried out several attacks on Sony in a bid to halt the release of comedy film The Interview. By contrast, the Lizard Squad targeted Sony’s PlayStation network knocking it offline on Christmas Day. The man interviewed by the newspaper appears to be one of the two members who spoke to the BBC last week. In the interview, the self-identified senior member of Lizard Squad said his group knew people that were part of GoP. Despite the connection, the spokesman said Lizard Squad did not play a “large part” in the attacks the GoP mounted against Sony.