Sony Lesson: There Is No Such Thing As Private Email

One of the items that got leaked in the Sony hack was the mailbox of Amy Pascal, the Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.  Here are some excepts from a Washington Times article.

Among the leaked conversations int the email are a conversation between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin.  The conversation goes something like this:

Rudin: Angelina Jolie is a “minimally talented spoiled brat” from “Crazyland, … YOU BETTER SHUT ANGIE DOWN (referring to a project that Jolie wanted to do that would have impacted Rudin.

Pascal: “Do not [expletive] threaten me,”

Rudin: “What the hell are you talking about? Who’s threatening you? Let me remind you I brought this material to you and I can off her from it in a phone call,” Mr. Rudin writes of Ms. Jolie playing “Cleopatra,” the New York Post reported. “Don’t for one second even think about trying this [expletive] with me.”

There are other conversations – for example racist comments about President Obama.

Now here is the thing – and the I.T. guys have known this for years.  If you write stuff in email that you DON’T want to become public, it sometimes does become public.  You just can’t stop it.

Apparently, there are a bunch of other emails that are not terribly flattering as well.

There is talk on the street about Pascal losing her job.

I know that email is very convenient and if you use the right kind of encryption, you reduce the odds of it going public – but you don’t eliminate it.  It’s just not a good plan to put stuff like that in written form.  And if you do, you better cross your fingers.

Mitch

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