Obama: Sony Hack Was Cyber-Vandalism, Not an 'Act of War'

President Barack Obama said the hacking of Sony Pictures was not an act of war but rather a "very costly" act of cyber-vandalism. The FBI has formally accused North Korea's government of the hacking attack which led Sony Pictures Entertainment to cancel its Pyongyang satire film, "The Interview." Obama has called Sony's move to cancel the release "a mistake."

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In an interview airing Sunday, he told CNN's "State of the Union" that he did not think the hacking was an act of war. "I think it was an act of cybervandalism that was very costly, very expensive," he told the program. "We take it very seriously and we will respond proportionally."

He said he would consider adding North Korea to the government’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Only Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria are on the list, and Obama is considering dropping Cuba. North Korea was on the list until 2008, when the Bush administration removed it during nuclear negotiations.

IN-DEPTH

• White House: Sony Never Told Us About Pulling Movie
• North Korea Demands Joint Probe With U.S. Into Sony Hack
• FBI Says North Korea Was Behind Sony Hack

— Cassandra Vinograd