The Federal Bureau of Investigation has concluded that North Korea is responsible for the massive cyberattack against Sony last month that leaked thousands of corporate emails and set off a domino effect of events that eventually led to the cancellation of the theatrical release of the Seth Rogan and James Franco comedy film The Interview.
The Washington Post reports:
“The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions,” the bureau said in a statement.
The statement said the conclusion was based in part on a “technical analysis” of the malware used in the attack, which “revealed links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korean actors previously developed.” The FBI said the attack was also linked to several Internet protocol addresses “associated with known North Korean infrastructure.”
North Korea's actions were “intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves,” the FBI said.
CNN adds:
U.S. officials have said the government will retaliate for the attacks and White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the response would be "proportional."
"Working together, the FBI will identify, pursue, and impose costs and consequences on individuals, groups, or nation states who use cyber means to threaten the United States or U.S. interests," the FBI said in the release.
President Obama is expected to address the cyberattack at a planned news conference later today.
