When it comes to international cases of hacking, North Korea is not usually a country that comes to mind as being involved in the attacks.
But the reclusive communist nation is being accused of hacking entertainment giant Sony Pictures in an attack that resulted in sensitive files and email being compromised, as well as unreleased films being released. While the recent attack is still being investigated, there are some evidentiary signs that North Korea was behind the hacking.
Investigators have said they’ve identified similarities in the code used in the latest incident against Sony with code that was used against South Korean banks in March of 2013 – an attack widely believed committed by North Korean hackers.
But what’s the motivation for North Korea to strike against the movie studio? It turns out they have voiced strong opposition to the Sony-produced comedy The Interview, starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.
The characters, playing reporters in the movie, set up an interview with the North Korean dictator and the real-life Kim Jong-un and his government has spoken out against the film.
The website The Verge posted a message it received believed to be from the hackers, explaining their distaste for the upcoming film.
“Sony Pictures produced the film harming the regional peace and security and violating human rights for money,” reads part of the message. “The news with The Interview fully acquaints us with the crimes of Sony Pictures. Like this, their activity is contrary to our philosophy. We struggle to fight against such greed of Sony Pictures,” it continues.
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