TheGrill 2016: Michael Lynton Recalls ‘Extremely Unfair’ Criticism of Sony Hack

“What we’ve seen is that nobody is adequately prepared,” Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton tells TheWrap

| September 27, 2016 @ 4:44 PM Last Updated: September 28, 2016 @ 9:54 AM

Sony Entertainment was unfairly criticized for its response to a devastating cyber attack two years ago, CEO Michael Lynton said on Tuesday.

After the 2014 hack on servers and systems at the Culver City, California, Sony Pictures lot, Lynton and the organization at large were condemned for a lack of preparedness — from podiums as high as President Obama’s.

“What we’ve seen is that nobody is adequately prepared,” Lynton told TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman during a keynote conversation at TheGrill 2016 conference at Montage Beverly Hills.

Also Read: TheGrill 2016: Michael Lynton Says Sony Will Not Be Sold to China's Wanda -- Or Anyone Else

“And certainly not when a sovereign comes after you,” he added, referring to the revelation that North Korea was responsible for the security breach over objections to the depiction of its leader, Kim Jong-Un, in the Seth Rogen comedy “The Interview.”

“That felt extremely unfair at the time,” Lynton continued.

Lynton said that many were distracted by the disclosure of executive emails and the controversy they created. “They didn’t properly understand the nature of the attack and the degree of vulnerability anyone would’ve had,” he said. “I haven’t seen one instance post-Sony of a whatever institution being criticized for having inadequate security, which is bizarre.”

Also Read: TheGrill 2016: Irving Azoff Blasts 'Really Evil' YouTube, Video Giant Responds (Video)

So why was the distributor of “The Interview” singled out? “I supposed it’s because we were the first,” Lynton said.

The CEO spoke at length in a wide-ranging interview that touched on everything from a steep recent decline in DVD sales to unpacking motives of Chinese investment in Hollywood.

Watch the video above for his full remarks.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • Michael Lynton The Grill
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  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • Skyfall Daniel Craig James Bond 25
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
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  • Sony attorney David Boies
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As Sony CEO Michael Lynton prepares to exit, here’s TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack. 

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