Target data breach could become cyber thriller movie: Will you watch it?

Moviegoers could get to watch one of the nation's largest credit card scams unfold on the big screen.

Sony Pictures Entertainment wants to turn the Target data breach debacle into a cyber thriller and highlight the investigative savvy of the security reporter who first broke the story, Brian Krebs.

Sony wants to make a movie about the Target data breach the the man who uncovered it: Brian Krebs, a security blogger. (AP)

According to the Liberty Voice:

"(Sony has purchased the movie rights of the New York Times article about Krebs. The article, Reporting From the Web’s Underbelly, was penned by Nicole Perlroth and describes how Kreb’s blog about cyber crime has caused criminals to hack him frequently, sent packages of excrement and drugs to his home and accused him of murder."

The former Washington Post reporter, who quit his job at the paper to focus solely on cyber security issues, keeps a 12-guage shotgun at his side because he has received so many threats. That is definitely enough real-life drama to fuel the Hollywood writers.

"Some gumshoe I am," Krebs wrote on his site KrebsonSecurity. "This took me by complete surprise."

Brian Krebs uncovered the Target scam (Image via KrebsonSecurity.com)

On the upside for the millions of unsuspecting Target-scam victims; I'm sure they'll need plenty of extras to play the trusting customers just trying to buy Christmas presents without having personal information stolen. It only seems fair if you were a victim of the fraud scam Sony should give you first right of refusal for those roles.

It seems the movie may focus a little more on Krebs and his reporting than Target itself though; Sony decided to purchase Krebs' "life rights" for the narrative and no doubt some of the scenes will include the action described in Perlroth's article about the cyber blogger:

"In the last year, Eastern European cybercriminals have stolen Brian Krebs’s identity a half dozen times, brought down his website, included his name and some unpleasant epithets in their malware code, sent fecal matter and heroin to his doorstep, and called a SWAT team to his home just as his mother was arriving for dinner.”

Krebs even taught himself how to read Russian so he would have a leg up on tracking and deciphering some of the rampant criminal activity the cyber realm. But nerds are the new heroes, didn't you know?

I have a feeling the movie will be a cross between "Sneakers" and "Swordfish" — weighted down with too many ridiculous embellishments to really appreciated what went down. Perhaps the film could give closure to those who were affected by the data breach, or maybe it will be salt in the would. Either way, we want to know: would you go see this movie?

(H/T: The Liberty Voice)

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