Hours after U.S. officials said that they do believe that hacker group behind the attack on Sony Pictures was backed by North Korea, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that the Obama Administration is still debating on a response.
Officials told the media late last night, after Sony pulled The Interview from release, that they do believe North Korea supported the Guardians of Peace, a group that hacked into Sony’s computers and leaked thousands of emails.
In his press briefing today, Earnest called attack an example of “destructive activity with malicious intent that was initiated by a sophisticated actor,” reports Reuters. He didn’t give details on how the U.S. came it its conclusion that it was a “state sponsored” attack, though.
U.S. national security leaders should consider that the attack needs a “proportional response,” Earnest said. However, he cautioned that some attacks are made for the sole purpose of getting a response that would be “advantageous to them.”
According to the Huffington Post, Earnest also revealed that White House officials were “consulted about the film prior to its release, at the request of the company that was producing it,” adding, “Input was shared.” He also confirmed that the hacks were already discussed in White House meetings.
Sen. John McCain and other Washington politicians have slammed Sony for pulling the movie and also criticized the administration’s response to cyber attacks. Members of the Hollywood community have also made it clear that they are not happy with Sony’s decision.
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