At first glance, you would have thought it was a scene from an sci-fi action movie, but the recent hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment - its internal database disabled and employees' information revealed online - shows the gravity and the extent of how vulnerable institutions are in cyberspace.

The Guardians of Peace, the hacking group responsible for the attack, brought down the entertainment outfit's email accounts and revealed sensitive corporate data, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The group leaked Sony's five movie line ups including the salaries of 6,000 employees and some of the company's executives.

Although what happened is not the first cyber attack to be ever reported, the breach at Sony has gained attention because of the sensitive nature of the information exposed from an established tech giant.

The magnitude of the breach ranges from employee salaries down to their performance reviews, including health care and other personal information.

Morale among Sony employees is reported to be low as a result of the hacking and it took time to get the company's system up and running again.

On Wednesday, employees were reportedly paid with cash because Sony's credit-card system was still down and employees are said to be concerned that more private information will be revealed online. 

The Business Insider secured a copy of a memo Sony issued Tuesday to its employees to ensure that their security is protected. The memo reportedly said the privacy and security of personnel was a major concern of the company and that it would do its best to resolve the hacking incident.

"Yesterday, we told you that we are offering all employees identity protection services with a third-party service provider, All Clear ID, and that you would receive an email tomorrow outlining steps to sign up," Sony's memo told its employees. "If you sign up, the AllClear ID investigators would be available to answer your questions about how to handle disclosures of your confidential information."

Sony is cooperating with law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and a cyber security firm to investigate the cyber attack.

Initial reports suggest that the hacking may have been perpetrated by North Korean hackers who attacked South Korean television networks and banking websites back in 2013. The reports said the electronic footprint and codes used in the Sony incident are similar to those in previous attacks.