Example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Sony_Pictures_hack
Maybe I misunderstood what a hacker can do, but why not rob someone's credit card or bank account if they can do it to Sony?
this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
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I think the Sony hack is not a great example because there is a very good chance it was more politically motivated than financially. It's one of those cases where we might never know but there is a good chance it was orchestrated by North Korea in response to a Sony movie that made Kim III not look very divine. NK is most likely connected to other hacks as well that were really just a way to get hard currency/to evade sanctions.
Effort and reward are like supply and demand. If I want to steal your credit card number to go shopping, it might take me a long time to get to it. And then it turns out there is only $500 left on it. Too much effort for not enough reward. That's why phishing, Nigerian princes, texted IRS/DMV fines, missed FedEx deliveries, and all that jazz happens. Low effort to throw a net out and then catch the dumbest of the fish. If you are a person of interest to me though the math if different. Maybe I'm a stalker (look behind you, I'm there right now). Or maybe horny me is looking for your (perfectly legal) sexting thread. Or you're a pedo, a socialist, a cult leader, or all of the above. Private people get hacked. But it rarely makes a splash in the news like the Sony hack.
Also, hacker ≠ hacker. There are good guys who hack stuff to show what needs fixing or to hold people to account. There are bad guys who do it for money or because they like it. There are those with one foot on either side of that fence. Motivations differ wildly.