Sony Hackers Taunt FBI After It Declares North Korea Responsible For Cyberattack

The group of hackers claiming responsibility for the Sony Corp. cyberattack issued a new message on the file-sharing website Pastebin Saturday. The latest was not a threat or bundle of leaked data stolen from Sony.

The hackers called the latest message a “gift” for the FBI, which said Friday its investigation determined the North Korean government was to blame for the Sony hack. The group, which calls itself Guardians of Peace, taunted investigators and posted a link to a YouTube video called "you are an idiot.”

"The result of investigation by FBI is so excellent that you might have seen what we were doing with your own eyes," the message read. "We congratulate you success. FBI is the BEST in the world."

The FBI claims the hackers acquired the password of one of Sony’s system administrators to log in to its network, stealing personal data and erasing hard drives. The group later released a series of data dumps, which included embarrassing internal emails, as well as a number of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s unreleased films.

Sony canceled the Christmas release of “The Interview” after the hackers threatened violence and referenced the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The comedy starred Seth Rogen as a television producer tasked with assassinating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. James Franco plays a reporter.

Critics of Sony’s decision to cancel the Christmas release of “The Interview,” which include U.S. President Barack Obama, say complying with anonymous threats will only encourage similar attacks.

"I am sympathetic to the concerns that they face. Having said all that, yes I think they made a mistake," Obama said at a press conference. "We cannot have a society where some dictator someplace can impose censorship here in the U.S.”

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton responded Friday, and said he disagreed with the president on whether the cancellation of the film was a “mistake.” He said that Sony does not own or operate movie theaters, and could not force them to screen the film.

Sony initially said it had no plans to release “The Interview” at all, either theatrically or through an online streaming service. It later recanted, claiming that it would release “The Interview” online should a service like iTunes or Netflix step forward to distribute it.

North Korea proposed a joint investigation Saturday, warning there would be "serious" consequences if the U.S. does not acquiesce. North Korea claims it had nothing to do with the cyberattack, and said the inquiry would prove its innocence. National Security Council spokesman Mark Stroh responded to the proposal, and said the U.S. would not take part.

"The government of North Korea has a long history of denying responsibility for destructive and provocative actions," Stroh said in a statement. "If the North Korean government wants to help, they can admit their culpability and compensate Sony for the damages this attack caused."