FBI: Yes, It Was North Korea

The FBI today formally blamed North Korea for the massive Sony Pictures hack, reports NBC News. The bureau says its investigation turned up "links to other malware that the FBI knows North Korea actors previously developed," reports the Washington Post. North Korea's moves "were intended to inflict significant harm on a US business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves," per the FBI. The US hasn't spelled out how it might retaliate, but the topic is sure to surface at President Obama's end-of-the-year news conference later today.

The hackers, meanwhile, sent another garbled message to Sony executives last night that smacks of gloating. The message from "GOP," or Guardians of Peace, tells the executives they made a "very wise" decision to pull The Interview, reports CNN. "Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy." The hackers say they still have sensitive company data and will release it "if you make additional trouble." (George Clooney, for one, is blasting Hollywood's response to the hack as cowardly.)