On Thursday, the White House responded to the Sony hack blamed on North Korea, calling the act a “serious national security matter,” adding that the Obama administration was monitoring it very closely.
The White House did, however, stop short of outright blaming North Korea.
According to the Huffington Post:
U.S. government sources said on Wednesday that investigators had determined the attack was “state sponsored” and that North Korea was the government involved. A U.S. government official said on Thursday that U.S. investigators were looking into the possibility that Iran assisted North Korea.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was not in a position to say that North Korea was responsible, but the investigation was “progressing.” He said the attack was an example of “destructive activity with malicious intent that was initiated by a sophisticated actor.”
Earnest said U.S. national security leaders “would be mindful of the fact that we need a proportional response.” They were also aware that people carrying out such attacks are “often seeking to provoke a response,” he said.
“They may believe that a response from us in one fashion or another would be advantageous to them” by enhancing their standing either among their cohorts or on the international stage, Earnest said.
Earlier this week, hackers who were upset by The Interview, a film about the fictional assassination of North Korea’s leader, said they were responsible for the Sony leak that made personal and racially-charged emails sent between individuals available. On Wednesday, Sony canceled the Dec. 25 release of the film.
An investigation continues. A U.S. government official familiar with the investigation said the U.S. was looking into the possibility that Iran helped North Korea with the hack.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
SOURCE: Huffington Post | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
