U.S. blames North Korea for Sony cyber attack, vows 'consequences'
Source: Reuters
U.S. blames North Korea for Sony cyber attack, vows 'consequences'
BY ARUNA VISWANATHA AND STEVE HOLLAND
WASHINGTON Fri Dec 19, 2014 2:00pm EST
(Reuters) - The U.S. government on Friday blamed North Korea for a devastating cyber attack against Sony Pictures, calling it an unacceptable act of intimidation and vowing to impose "costs and consequences" on those responsible.
It was the first time the United States had directly accused another country of a cyber attack of such magnitude on American soil and sets up a possible new confrontation between longtime foes Washington and Pyongyang.
The destructive nature of the attack, and threats from the hackers that led the Hollywood studio to pull a comedy movie depicting the assassination of North Korea's leader, set it apart from previous cyber intrusions, the FBI said.
President Barack Obama was expected to address the issue at a 1:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) end-of-year news conference, but his options for responding to the attack by the impoverished state appeared limited.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/19/us-sony-cybersecurity-usa-idUSKBN0JX1MH20141219