Is It Possible The Sony Hack Was Just A Publicity Stunt?

What if Sony never was really hacked?\n\nOr worse yet, if Sony hacked themselves?\n\nI know this sounds a bit crazy–and I admit, I AM a bit crazy–but, indulge me for a few minutes of your time and perhaps I’ll convince you that it just might be possible that the whole thing was staged for a very specific purpose…\n\n

Why would anyone want to give themselves bad publicity?

\n\nI mean isn’t bad publicity… bad?\n\nWell, no–not really.\n\nHave you ever heard the phrase “there is no such thing as bad publicity?”\n\nI definitely believe there is some truth to this statement. And I’m not alone.\n\nBest-selling author, Ryan Holiday, wrote a book about this very subject called “Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator.”\n\n\n\nIn this book, he basically, flat out details how he manipulated mainstream media to give the infamous and self-proclaimed asshole, Tucker Max, front page coverage on major media channels, all to promote his movie “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell.”\n\nIn “Trust Me, I’m Lying,” Ryan details out how he single-handedly spurred up negative press and even protests by purposely defacing his own promotional advertisements for “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell” and sending a fake news tip-off to smaller blogs that he knew larger media outlets got their stories from.\n\nHe also purposely staged protests and enraged feminist and other organizations to stir up controversy and even a boycott of the movie.\n\nWhat did all this negative press do?\n\nTo put it bluntly: it sold the hell out of a really crappy movie and book of the same name.\n\n

Has anyone ever faked being hacked before? As a publicity stunt?

\n\nFunny you should ask.\n\nWhy, yes–and not too long ago.\n\nDo you like burritos? I know I do.\n\nWell, there is a certain company that wants you to like their burritos enough that they were willing to lie to you, by pretending to be hacked, to get you to eat more of them.\n\nCheck out these tweets from Chipolte’s Twitter account:\n\n

Hi sweetie, can you please pick up some lime, salt, and onions? twitter\n\n— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) July 21, 2013

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\nMittens13 password leave — Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) July 21, 2013\n

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Sorry all. We had a little problem with our account. But everything is back on track now! – Joe\n\n— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) July 21, 2013

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\nPlease return to your usual #chipotle love and thanks for your patience with us today. – Joe — Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) July 21, 2013\n

\n\n\n\nWhoops? Did Chipotle’s Twitter account just get hacked?\n\nNope, they were just pretending to be hacked in order to gain followers. They even admitted it.\n\n

But Sony’s never done anything like this, right? WRONG!

\n\nPrior to the release of the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP), Sony created a fake blog at www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com.\n\nOn the blog, some guy apparently posted posts saying how good the PSP was and rapping about how he wanted one for Christmas.\n\nSomething didn’t sit right with some of Sony’s gaming audience, and when they checked out who the site was registered to, it turned out to be…\n\n… you guessed it, a viral marketing agency. Specifically Zipatoni, who since changed their name.\n\nThat viral marketing attempt by Sony failed, but it proves that Sony was investing in viral marketing and some unscrupulous tactics, including outright lying.\n\nSo, I wouldn’t put it past Sony to try to do something like this.\n\nBut, would they really have hacked themselves?\n\nWould they really have leaked that much personal data, just to get a little media attention?\n\nWell, let’s be honest, they didn’t just get a little media attention. Sony has been all over every major news channel for weeks at a time.\n\nThe crude movie about assassinating the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, which would have probably bombed in theaters, is making headlines, being spread all over Facebook and Twitter and getting more publicity than Santa Clause this Christmas.\n\nI mean, Sony even has the president of the United States, talking about them and the movie.\n\n\n\nOh, and what has happened in this strange turn of events?\n\nWell, now it appears Sony is backpedaling and saying they will release “The Interview” after all. I guess they are no longer afraid of Kim Jong-un?\n\nConvenient how that worked out.\n\nBut, still I know what you are thinking…\n\nThis still seems like some crazy conspiracy theory. I mean, Sony suffered a lot of negative consequences from this whole fiasco.\n\nTheir stock tanked.\n\nActual damaging memos and data were released to the public.\n\nSocial security numbers of their employees were handed out.\n\n

What I think actually happened

\n\nHere is what I think actually happened:\n\nI don’t think Sony intended for all this to go down.\n\n\n\nThis is just a theory, but I think this started out as a viral marketing campaign.\n\nAll speculation, mind you.\n\nBut, what if Sony hired some viral marketing agency that took things too far?\n\nWhat if Sony was just trying to stir up a little bit of negative publicity for The Interview and make it look like North Korea had hacked them in retaliation for making a movie about killing Kim Jong-un?\n\nBut, what if something went bad–horribly bad?\n\nWhat if that viral marketing company hired the wrong “hacker” to carry out the cyber attack, because they wanted to make it look real, and that hacker had plans of his own?\n\nWhat if Sony only wanted to create a little negative press, but the whole thing exploded in their face and now they are trying to make the most of it while reducing the damage as much as possible?\n\nAnd here’s one more “what-if” I’ll throw out there–the scariest one of all.\n\nWhat if “The Interview” becomes the best-selling, straight-to-DVD movie ever?\n\nWhat do you think?\n\nIf you’re crazy and you think I’m crazy and you’d like to hear more of my crazy thoughts on a weekly basis, sign up for my weekly emails here.\n\n \n\n \n\n