Sony Pictures’ $8m legal settlement with former employees affected by data leaks that followed a cyber attack on the company in 2014 underlines the need to secure personal data, according to experts. The lawsuit claimed Sony knew confidential employee data was inadequately protected before the breach, which has been linked to North Korea and the release of the film The Interview. The attack crippled the company’s network and exposed the personal details of 47,000 celebrities, freelancers, and current and former employees.