The computer hackers drilled into the network at the elegant St. Regis Bangkok that night and, with a keystroke, laid bare the secrets of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
What had begun with a secret incursion into the Hollywood studio's computer system was reaching its climax in, of all places, a five-star hotel in the capital of Thailand.
It was 12:25 a.m. on Dec. 2 in Bangkok, the morning of Dec. 1 in California. Working through the high-speed network at the St. Regis — whether from a guest room, a public area like the lobby or a separate location is unknown — the hackers began leaking confidential Sony data to the Internet, according to a source familiar with investigations into the breach. This person spoke on the condition he not be named because the inquiries are confidential.