Threat actors compromised the networks of Sony Pictures Entertainment, destroyed data, and publicly released employee emails. The United States attributed the incident to North Korea, which is believed to have staged the attack to prevent Sony from releasing the film The Interview, which depicts an assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The compromise of Sony Pictures was the first cyber incident to be formally condemned by a U.S. president. The incident also prompted the United States to sanction certain North Korean individuals and organizations, denying them access to U.S. financial institutions.

In September 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges alleging that North Korean entities were responsible for this incident.