The United States was considering possible options on Thursday in response to a major cyberattack on Sony Pictures blamed on North Korea, amid calls for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang to cut it off from the global banking system.
U.S. experts say options for the Obama administration could include cyberretaliation and financial sanctions but the effect of any response could be limited, given North Korea's isolation.
Hackers who said they were incensed by a film on the fictional assassination of North Korea's leader attacked Sony Corp. last month, leaking documents that drew global headlines and distributing unreleased films on the Internet. It appeared to be an unprecedented victory for Pyongyang and its abilities to wage cyberwarfare.