U.S. officials have concluded that the North Korean government ordered the cyber attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, an attack that has highly embarrassed top Sony Pictures executives and recently led to the cancelation of the planned release of “The Interview” due to terror threats comparable to the 9/11 attack by the ‘Guardians of Peace‘, the group responsible for hacking the Company. The Interview is a comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco in which they portrayed the fictional assassination attempt on North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, which is speculated to have been interpreted as an insult on Kim Jong Un.
According to reports by NBC News, the hacking originated outside North Korea, but the individuals responsible for performing the attack were acting under instructions from the North Koreans.
In a statement by the White House National Security Council on Wednesday, they said “the U.S. government is working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators of this attack to justice” and expressed support for Sony. “The United States respects artists’ and entertainers’ right to produce and distribute content of their choosing. … We take very seriously any attempt to threaten or limit artists’ freedom of speech or of expression.”
Photo Credit: Reuters, Sony News Entertainment
