North Korean hackers targeted a British television company making a drama about the country, it has been reported.
The series - due to be written by an Oscar-nominated screenwriter - has been shelved.
In August 2014, Channel 4 announced what it said would be a new "bold and provocative" drama series.
Titled Opposite Number, the programme's plot involved a British nuclear scientist taken prisoner in North Korea.
The production firm involved - Mammoth Screen - subsequently had its computers attacked.
North Korean officials had responded in anger when details of the TV series were first revealed. Pyongyang described the plot as a "slanderous farce" as it called on the British government to pull the series in order to avoid damaging relations.
The North Koreans did more than protest though - they hacked into the computer networks of the company behind the show.
The incident was first reported by the New York Times, which cited Channel 4 as the main target. However, the BBC understands that it was actually Mammoth Screen that was hit by hackers.
The attack did not inflict any damage but the presence of North Korean hackers on the system caused widespread alarm over what they might do.
"They were running around with their hair on fire," a TV executive from another company told the BBC, describing the level of concern.
British intelligence was also aware of the attack.
The concern was compounded because Sony Pictures experienced a significant cyber-attack in November 2014. A group called the Guardians of Peace claimed it was behind it but US officials said they believed North Korea was responsible.
That attack was also in retaliation for a drama - in this case the planned release of the film The Interview, a comedy in which the North Korean leader was assassinated.
The studio had its emails stolen and publicly released but also had a significant portion of its computer network destroyed by the attackers. The film was eventually released online amid concerns that cinemas would not show it because of threats.
It also led to a strong reaction from the Obama White House, including the imposition of sanctions. There was no commensurate complaint from the British government, despite officials knowing that a UK company had also been targeted - although not affected in the same way as Sony Pictures.
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