North Korea’s track record in its dealings with the West has always been marked by rhetoric and brinkmanship. It is no different now after being accused by the US of hacking into Sony Pictures and exposing a trail of embarrassing private emails and threatening movie theatres preparing to screen The Interview.
The FBI says the malware and techniques used in the hack were similar to past cyberattacks by North Korea. Meanwhile, many in the film world were openly critical of Sony and the cinemas for backing out of releasing the movie on Christmas Day.
The US has sought China’s help as that country’s entire Internet traffic moves through China. But the major fear for the free world is that some countries themselves may be getting into hacking and industrial cyber theft. There is no saying that countries complaining now do not encourage the same kind of activities in clandestine operations.
North Korea’s sensitivities in the matter of a movie parodying its “Supreme” leader Kim Jong-un, who thrives on a cult of personality built assiduously over the years around one ruling family, only increases the suspicion that a state player was involved. The country even offered a joint investigation, which the US declined. What engenders the hope that the issue will peter out is President Obama’s assertion that the hack is not an act of war. Since 2008, US-N. Korea relations have thawed somewhat in talks about nuclear missiles. Things could, however, alter dramatically if Sony goes ahead and features the assassination, in jest of course, of Kim.
