John McCain Rips Sony 'Interview' Cancellation As 'Troubling Precedent'

The move will “will only empower and embolden bad actors,” the senator said

Arizona Sen. John McCain ripped Sony Pictures Entertainment on Thursday for creating a “troubling precedent” in cancelling the release of  “The Interview.”

“Recently reported intelligence findings that North Korea directed cyber-attacks at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures’ decision to cancel the release of an upcoming movie in reaction to those cyber-attacks, are profoundly troubling,” said McCain in a statement. 

“By effectively yielding to aggressive acts of cyber-terrorism by North Korea, that decision sets a troubling precedent that will only empower and embolden bad actors to use cyber as an offensive weapon even more aggressively in the future.” he added. 

McCain also criticized the Obama administration.

“But, make no mistake. The need for Sony Pictures to make that decision ultimately arose from the Administration’s continuing failure to satisfactorily address the use of cyber weapons by our nation’s enemies.

“Indeed, North Korea’s cyber-attack on Sony Pictures is only the latest in a long and troubling list of attempts by malign actors to use cyber to undermine our economic and national security interests. From Iranian and Russian attacks on American banks to China’s orchestrated campaign to steal military secrets from our defense contractors, the Administration’s failure to deter our adversaries has emboldened, and will continue to embolden, those seeking to harm the United States through cyberspace,” he said. 

McCain added that if he becomes chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee next year, he will push to enact cyber security legislation. 

Source:http://www.thewrap.com