U.S. sanctions North Korea over Sony hacking

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (NsNewsWire) — The Obama administration imposed sanctions Friday on three entities and 10 individuals tied to the North Korean government, describing it as the first step in response to the devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.

White House officials said there was no evidence that the 10 officials took part in ordering or planning the attack, but they described them as central to a number of provocative actions against the United States, reports Dallasnews.com.

“It’s a first step,” one of the officials said. “The administration felt that it had to do something to stay on point. This is certainly not the end for them.”

The sanctions, designed to isolate North Korea from the global financial system, are the first issued in direct response to a cyberattack on a U.S. corporation, and North Korea was to blame, the officials said.