Cyberattack on Sony Pictures ‘unacceptable’

The entertainment subsidiary of the Sony Corporation, Sony Pictures, has suffered a cyberattack that is being linked to the launch of the film The Interview, a comedy about two journalists who are granted an audience with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. As a result of the cyberattack and the threats that followed, which included terror threats, Sony has chosen to postpone the film’s release indefinitely. The US authorities have stated that they have evidence that the North Korean Government is responsible for the attack. President Obama has said that the US will ‘respond proportionally’ and ‘in a place and time and manner that we choose.’

‘I am concerned by what appears to be a targeted attack on a private company, Sony, and by the serious threats that followed. If the North Korean Government is indeed responsible for the attack and the threats of reprisals, this is extremely serious,’ said Mr Brende.

‘The kind of attack and threats we have witnessed in this case are unacceptable. They constitute a threat to freedom of expression and to the business sector’s ability to engage in legitimate economic activities. A private company being threatened into silence is a serious matter. If the government of a foreign country is responsible, it is even more serious,’ Mr Brende stressed. 

‘This attack highlights the importance of cybersecurity and of international cooperation to preserve open, free, reliable and secure cyberspace,’ Mr Brende said.