The hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment by what is now believed to be supporters of North Korea has significant national security and political implications, but America’s options for response are limited, experts told TheWrap.
“There aren’t a lot of cards on the table,” Adam Segal, of the digital and cyberspace policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations said. “Perhaps the U.S. will try to indict people from the elite North Korean hacking [group], but clearly we’re going to be worried about a response. We’ve already sanctioned them to the extent that we can.”
The United States has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, and has leveled significant economic sanctions against the Communist dictatorship because of its nuclear arsenal.
Segal pointed to the ineffective indictment in May of five Chinese military hackers found guilty of cyberespionage, as the Chinese government still denies involvement in their crimes. He also predicts President Obama will stay quiet on the issue, deferring to the departments of Justice or Defense.
“There aren’t any good policy options, so the President wouldn’t want to own anything we can’t make good on,” Segal said.
“North Korea and its supreme leader Kim Jong-un are subject to enough caricature in popular culture, one can forget they are a serious threat,” said Scott A. Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council.
Some experts have much broader interpretation of cyberterror.
“We’ve had state-sponsored industrial espionage for years,” said Steve Bucci of conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, who added that the U.S. Department of Defense may consider severe digital crimes to be acts of war.
“Cyberterrorism is a more efficient [terrorism], because it’s so broad. The thing is, in this country we don’t have to fight cyber with cyber, we can do anything we want. Cyberterrorism is an act of war, and we can go and bomb the snot out of them if we want,” Bucci said.
Segal said though there have been calls for the U.S. government to step in to bolster companies’ security, current antitrust and privacy laws could make it difficult for unless Congress facilitates change.
“Without legislation there is not much more the Obama administration can do,” he said. “It’s easy to see how a private-sector company might not anticipate this type of threat. It’s the first time we’ve seen an operation of this size as an element of vengeance,”
Considerable evidence points to North Korean involvement in the security breach as retaliation for the fictional assassination of Kim Jong-un in the Sony comedy “The Interview.” On Tuesday, the hackers escalated their threat to violence promising a 9/11-like attack on theaters that show the film. And while Sony losses could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, the implications could reach far beyond corporate financial results.
Japan, where Sony’s corporate headquarters is based, also has serious political- and national-security ramifications tied up in a potential North Korean conflict. A New York Times exposé published Dec. 14 suggested that Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai intervened in creative decisions for “The Interview” to avoid provoking Pyongyang:
“While many Americans seem to see North Korea as too distant to keep them awake at night, many Japanese see it as a very visible threat. Until three decades ago, North Korean agents occasionally snatched people off beaches in neighboring Japan to serve as Japanese-language teachers, and long-range North Korean rockets on test runs still fly ominously over Japan’s main islands.”
While the stakes are significant for all three countries, Bucci is quick to warn that determining the culprit with certainty can be tricky. Cyberculture is one that delights in illusions, he said.
“There are cyberactors,” Bucci said, referring to a 2009 computer virus allegedly disseminated by North Korea that threatened South Korean and American systems. No conclusive evidence ever pointed to North Korea after investigations.
“About six months later, some of my analyst friends said nothing pointed to North Korea, but then nothing pointed to anyone,” Bucci said. “There are individuals, there is organized crime or nation states — they are operating out there in the cyberarena. If they get pissed enough at you, they’ll do damage.”
Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)
As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack.
News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.
NOV. 24: The hacker group identified as #GOP purportedly took over computers and hijacked Twitter accounts, sending out ominous messages to Sony staff. Read more.
NOV. 25: Sony Pictures employees greeted with an ominous image on their computer screens when they tried to log in for the work week. Read more.
NOV. 28: Sony struggles to fight #GOP hackers who claim stolen data includes stars’ IDs, budget and contract figures. Read more.
NOV. 30: Investigators know North Korea is unhappy with comedy "The Interview," which makes light of an attempt to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-un. Read more.
DEC. 1: Studio has made progress in restoring critical business systems, insider says at the time. Later reports dispute this. Read more.
DEC. 1: Hack analysis: How much will this ‘nightmare’ cost? Damage to Sony’s reputation will be key in determining the cybercrime’s toll. Read more.
DEC. 1: Blogger posts a spreadsheet of the top 17 executives earning $1 million or more. Read more.
DEC. 1: North Korea denies involvement. A government official previously teased “wait and see.” Read more.
DEC. 2: Sony bosses Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal address "malicious criminal acts" in a company-wide memo to staff. Read more.
DEC. 2: Media outlets obtain spreadsheets including social security numbers and detailed performance reviews for 3,000 Sony Pictures employees. Read more.
DEC. 2: When asked if North Korea was involved, a spokesman for the communist country’s government replied, “Wait and see.” Read now.
DEC. 3: Salaries of ‘The Interview’ stars Seth Rogen and James Franco revealed in Sony hacking leak. Read more.
DEC. 4: Hollywood studios ramp up security in wake of Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 4: North Korea reportedly denies involvement in Sony hack attack. Read more.
DEC. 4: Sylvester Stallone, Judd Apatow are among 47,000 employees compromised in latest leak. Read more.
DEC. 6: Sony Hack Attack "unparalleled," says head of cybersecurity firm. Read more.
DEC. 7: Sony hackers reportedly worked from Thailand and may have North Korean ties. Internet leaks of confidential data traced to a five-star Bangkok hotel. Read more.
DEC. 8: Sony hackers demand ‘The Interview’ pulled: "Stop immediately showing the movie of terrorism." Read more.
DEC. 8: FBI plan to hold employee cybersecurity awareness briefings on the Sony studio lot. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hackers sent top Sony execs a threatening email days before the attack. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hack exposes celebrity aliases for Tom Hanks, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and more in latest leak. Read more.
DEC. 8: Hackers leak sensitive email of Sony execs Amy Pascal and Steven Mosko. Read more.
DEC. 9: Hackers reveal animated ‘Spider-Man’ comedy in the works. Read more.
DEC. 9: Heated emails between Sony Chief Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin leaked. Read more.
DEC. 10: FBI says attack so sophisticated that it would have gotten past "90 percent" of security firms. Read more.
DEC. 11: Sony hack attack theory suggests North Korea was involved but had insider help. Read more.
DEC. 11: Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin apologize for racially insensitive remarks about President Obama. Read more.
DEC. 11: Kevin Hart responds to leaked Sony emails calling him a ‘whore.’ Read more.
DEC. 11: Hackers flash disturbing new warning on staffers’ computers. Read more.
DEC. 11: Amy Pascal talks to Sharon Waxman about whether she's so damaged she can no longer lead Sony (exclusive). Read more.
DEC. 11: Sony had evidence of server breach as early as February. Read more.
DEC. 12: Sony orders its name removed from "The Interview" marketing materials. Read more.
DEC. 12: Sony arm Crackle pulls hacker movie "The Throwaways." Read more.
DEC. 14: Sony demands media stop publishing stolen data. Read more.
DEC. 14: Producers reveal hackers stole James Bond "Spectre" script. Read more.
DEC. 15: Lawyer's letter confirms "The Interview" was the cause of hack attack. Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony hackers threaten 9/11-style attack on theaters that show "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: James Franco and Seth Rogen withdraw from press interviews for "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony tells theaters they can pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 16: Carmike theater chain drops "The Interview" after hacker terror threat. Read more.
DEC. 16: ArcLight Cinemas drops "The Interview" amid hacker threats. Read more.
DEC. 16: Sony CEO Michael Lynton's emails leaked. Read more.
DEC. 16: Former Sony employees file class-action suit against studio. Read more.
DEC. 16: Landmark Theaters cancels "Interview" New York premiere. Read more.
DEC. 17: Bow Tie Cinemas drops "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Judd Apatow says, "I am going to 'The Interview.'" Read more.
DEC. 17: Rosie O'Donnell says she will not see "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Five major theater chains pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Sony Pictures cancels release of "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Hollywood outraged at decision to pull "The Interview." Read more.
DEC. 17: Per CNN, US Government to announce North Korea was behind Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 17: What are U.S. options if North Korea is confirmed as cyberterrorist? Read more.
DEC. 17: Steve Carell’s North Korea movie "Pyongyang" canceled in wake of Sony hack. Read more.
DEC. 17: Rob Lowe, Judd Apatow, Michael Moore and others express their outrage on social media. Read more.
DEC. 18: Paramount thwarts plans by theaters to replace ‘The Interview’ with "Team America: World Police" Read more.
DEC. 18: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rep. Peter King and Colin Powell weigh in on the cancelation of "The Interview. Read more.
DEC. 19: FBI officially implicates North Korea in Sony hack Attack. Read more.
DEC. 19: New Sony leak reveals 50 scripts from Michael Lynton’s inbox. Read more.
DEC. 20: North Korea denies involvement in hack attack, warns U.S and offers to join joint probe. Read more.
DEC. 20: Sony deletes "The Interview’s" social media profiles in wake of hack, movie’s cancellation. Read more.
DEC. 20: Mike Myers returns to Saturday Night Live, reprising his Dr. Evil role from “Austin Powers” to deliver some advice regarding the hack. See more.
DEC. 20: RNC chair Reince Priebus sends a letter urging the CEOs of 10 major theater chains to screen “The Interview.” Read more.
DEC. 21: President Obama insists on CNN that the Sony hack is "cyber vandalism," not "act of war." Watch more.
Dec. 21: Sony attorney says "The Interview" will be distributed despite hackers’ threats. Watch more.
DEC. 22: Security experts register doubts about North Korean involvement in hack. Read more.
DEC. 22: Sony threatens Twitter with lawsuit if additional "stolen information" appears on the service. Read more.
1 of 68
As Sony CEO Michael Lynton prepares to exit, here’s TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio
As Sony CEO Michael Lynton announces his resignation, let's look back at one of the darkest periods of his tenure: the Sony hack.