19 Dec 2014

FBI place Sony hacking blame on North Korea

The FBI says it has determined that North Korea was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures, which the White House is treating as a “national security threat”.

The interview poster

In a statement, the FBI said: “North Korea‘s attack on Sony reaffirms that cyber threats pose one of the gravest national security dangers to the United States.

“We are deeply concerned about the destructive nature of this attack on a private sector entity and the ordinary citizens who worked there.”

After analysing malware, the FBI concluded that the North Korean government was responsible for the cyber-attack.

Earlier this week, Sony dropped the film The Interview following threats from hackers to cinemas that decided to screen the film.

Remember the 11th of September 2001 Sony hackers’ warning

On Friday, the hackers praised Sony’s decision to drop the film, promising that the company’s data will be secure if they continue to comply.

“It’s very wise that you have made a decision to cancel the release of ‘The Interview,'” the message said, according to CNN.

“We ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble.”

THe interview poster

Hackers said in November they were infuriated by the film, leading to speculation that North Korea was behind the cyber hack – although Pyongyang has denied it.

The White House has called the strike against the big Hollywood studio a matter of national security and said it was weighing a “proportional response.”

Hollywood actors criticised Sony’s decision to drop the film, with George Clooney calling for the film to be released online.