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Several times this year we’ve heard about hacks and compromised systems (more so than I can remember in recent history), and I have to say I’m truly amazed at all the press on the Sony hack. But why is this garnering so much attention?

Simply put, its effects are felt by a wider audience.

• Sony cares because of loss of revenue and tarnished reputation.
• Movie stakeholders (the producers, actors, etc.) care because it could impact them financially. I have never read the relevant agreements for this industry, but I’m sure there is a force majeure clause that will now be subject to an unprecedented interpretation and a great deal of legal precedence going forward.
• Theater owners / workers care because of supposed threats against their establishment, loss of revenue, and the inconvenience of replacing a movie in their lineup.
• Consumers care because they can’t see a movie with some very funny comedians.

Banks or retailers get hacked and it makes the news for a couple of days and fades. Maybe it’s not serious enough? The Home Depot, Target, and Staples attacks don’t really take anything away from the consumer. They can still shop at those places, albeit with new credit card numbers. So they don’t really feel the effects. An entertainment company is hacked and it’s an act of war cyber-vandalism. So much so that the President has weighed in and vowed a response. I guess compromising a retailer is just a nuisance.

Finally, there is breach that consumers actually care about. The JPMorgan breach doesn't directly affect the average family. We are, sadly, getting accustomed to being issued new credit cards and putting band aids on breaches in that industry. We can tolerate the Fortune 50 losing money, but don't mess with our entertainment. That is intrinsically American.

Perhaps I should rethink this title, as now attackers may have found an avenue that will encourage even more attacks. And let's face it: we have thoughts of actual war dancing through our heads. This isn't script kiddies and folks just looking to make a quick buck. These are hackers with nukes.

At SafeLogic we’ve done a fair bit of evangelizing this year, trying to get makers of IoT devices and health wearables to build security in as opposed to treating it as a cost center and a reactive initiative. So with that in mind, let’s think about this:

If halting the release of a movie gets this much attention and buzz , what happens if critical infrastructure is compromised? What if people can’t get water? Or they get only contaminated water? What if the power grid is blacked out? What happens when connected "things" are compromised? These are the absolute scariest scenarios, the effects of which are far more impactful than what you’ve been reading about this week. These effects are real.

Let’s not discover what happens in these “what if” scenarios. We need awareness and we need plans and we need action. I’m hoping that everyone takes the Sony hacks to heart and thinks about what truly matters... Especially this time of year.

Oh, and encrypt your data with SafeLogic’s validated and widely-deployed encryption solutions.