President Obama said the hacking of Sony was an act of “cyber vandalism,” and not an “act of war.” He made the comments in an interview with CNN’s Candy Crowley, according to a transcript provided by the network.
CROWLEY: Do you think this was an act of war by North Korea?
OBAMA: No, I don’t think it was an act of war. I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately, as I said.
But, you know, we’re going to be in an environment in this new world where so much is digitalized that both state and non-state actors are going to have the capacity to disrupt our lives in all sorts of ways. We have to do a much better job of guarding against that. We have to treat it like we would treat, you know, the incidence of crime, you know, in our countries.
When other countries are sponsoring it, we take it very seriously. But, you know, I think this is something that we can manage…
(COUGHING)
OBAMA: But that’s something that I think we can manage through, as long as public-private sector is working together.
OBAMA: No, I don’t think it was an act of war. I think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was very costly, very expensive. We take it very seriously. We will respond proportionately, as I said.
But, you know, we’re going to be in an environment in this new world where so much is digitalized that both state and non-state actors are going to have the capacity to disrupt our lives in all sorts of ways. We have to do a much better job of guarding against that. We have to treat it like we would treat, you know, the incidence of crime, you know, in our countries.
When other countries are sponsoring it, we take it very seriously. But, you know, I think this is something that we can manage…
(COUGHING)
OBAMA: But that’s something that I think we can manage through, as long as public-private sector is working together.
