Deterring Cyberattacks From North Korea

[Commentary] The recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures, which the Obama Administration said was committed by North Korea, shows how far the United States still has to go to deter such intrusions, despite warnings by officials and experts about cybersecurity dangers.

Countless assaults on America’s computer networks by China and other foreign governments, hackers and criminals have demonstrated the urgent need for safeguards. The attack on Sony is particularly alarming because it raises the possibility that North Korea, aware that sending troops into South Korea or unleashing a nuclear weapon will bring crushing retaliation from the United States, has found a more devious weapon against its adversaries. The most productive deterrent against further North Korean assaults may be to continue pressing China, where most of the North’s hackers are based, to shut the operation and to make clear to the government of Kim Jong-un that such activities will not be tolerated.