The North Korean regime is responsible for the massive hack on Sony Pictures Entertainment that led to the studio cancelling the release of its comedy about the assassination of the country's leader, the FBI said Friday, dpa reported. The malware used in the cyberattack, which revealed sensitive company information, is known to have been previously utilized by North Korean hackers, the agency said. In presenting its evidence, the FBI also said that the internet infrastructure used in the Sony attack overlapped with other cyber activity linked to North Korea. The hack was similar to one carried out by North Korea in March against South Korean banks and media, it noted. "The FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions," the agency said in a statement. "North Korea's actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a US business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves," the statement continued. "Such acts of intimidation fall outside the bounds of acceptable state behavior." The finding underscored the seriousness with which the US government is treating the attack on a private corporation. The White House on Thursday called it a "national security matter" and said it was weighing an "appropriate response." -- SPA 22:37 LOCAL TIME 19:37 GMT تغريد
