Despite seeing evidence from data scientists pointing to individuals who may have been behind the hacking of Sony last month, the FBI isn’t wavering on its original assessment that North Korea is the culprit, an FBI source tells CNN.
FBI officials and data scientists with the U.S. cybersecurity firm Norse met Monday in St. Louis, according to Norse Vice President Kurt Stammberger and an FBI source.
During the three-hour briefing, which was requested by Norse, representatives of the cybersecurity firm shared information they say links several people, including a former Sony employee, to the hack, Stammberger told CNN.
The former employee had worked for Sony in Los Angeles for 10 years before getting laid off in May, Stammberger said.
Norse would not disclose how they could be so sure that the former Sony employee and the others were behind the attack, but said the FBI was “very open” to receiving the data and “grateful for the assistance.”
However, the FBI source said, the bureau continues to hold to its original assessment, based on information “from the FBI, the U.S. intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security, foreign partners and the private sector.”
The FBI source said the agency didn’t share any of its information with Norse due to “sensitivity of sources/techniques.”