Sony has requested an extension in the filing of the company's earnings report as the company continues to restore some important computer applications that were damaged by the devastating hack that attacked its movie studio.
Sony said that most of Sony Pictures Entertainment's accounting and financial applications, along with several other important information technology software, will only be restored by early February due to the "amount of destruction and disruption that occurred" from the hacking attack that the movie studio experienced.
Sony has requested Japan's Financial Services Agency to move the deadline for the company's earnings for the third quarter of its financial year, covering the months of October to December, to Mar. 31 from the original deadline of Feb. 16.
Sony Pictures' computer networks were attacked by a group of hackers last Nov. 24. Calling themselves #GOP, or Guardians of Peace, the hackers that claimed to be behind the attacks were able to extract confidential company information that became more pervasive and serious than what was initially perceived.
After the systems of the company were invaded, Sony Pictures employees were forcibly logged out of their computers while investigations were underway.
"We've obtained all your internal data including your secrets," the Guardians of Peace then said, while also hinting that they were able to carry out the attack through assistance of some of the company's employees.
Some of the data and secrets that the hackers acquired were then released to the public. The group leaked personal information, including the Social Security information, of over 47,000 individuals, which included celebrities, former and current employees and freelancers.
Several unreleased films were uploaded to the Internet as well, along with email exchanges between executives of Sony Pictures that revealed confidential company secrets and information.
The hacker group said that the attack on Sony Pictures was due to their objection against the studio's The Interview, a comedy movie starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, which featured an assassination attempt against Kim Jong Un, leader of North Korea.
At first, Sony Pictures decided to withdraw the movie from being released in theaters after hackers sent threats that locations showing the film would be attacked. However, the studio reconsidered the decision, with the movie now released in select theaters, online and digital home entertainment networks.
The FBI has placed the blame for the attack on North Korea. While the country has denied any involvement in the hacking, officials have expressed their support for the attack.
As Sony works on restoring the damaged systems to full functionality, the company noted that it will be holding a press conference on Feb. 4 to release forecasts on their results for the previous quarter, based on all the available information that the company holds.
