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| It is believed to be the first time US has moved to punish a country for a cyber-attack against a firm [Official Photos] |
Pyongyang: Slamming fresh sanctions imposed on it in response to a major cyber-attack against Sony Pictures, North Korea on Sunday accused US of being hostile with their repressive policies.
US placed sanctions on three North Korean organisations and 10 individuals in the wake of the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment, after the FBI blamed Pyongyang for the cyber-attack.
“The policy persistently pursued by the U.S. to stifle the DPRK (North Korea), groundlessly stirring up bad blood towards it, would only harden its will and resolution to defend the sovereignty of the country,” North’s state-run KCNA news agency quoted its foreign ministry spokesman as saying.
However, North Korea has denied involvement but has praised the attack on Sony. Washington said there was no evidence that any of the three entities or the individuals were linked to it.
The cyberattack that crippled Sony’s networks occurred as the company was preparing to release the film “The Interview,” a comedy centered on plans to assassinate North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.
The White House said that the Reconnaissance General Bureau was linked to North Korea’s capacity to wage cyber warfare, but it did not link it directly to the Sony hack attack.
The new US sanctions imposed are believed to be the first time the US has moved to punish any country for cyber-attacks on a US company.
Notably, US sanctions are already in place over North Korea's nuclear programme.