If North Korea Hacked Sony Corp (ADR) (SNE), It’s An Act Of War: Christopher Whalen

If North Korea was responsible for hacking Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE), it’s an act of war, Christopher Whalen of the Kroll Bond Rating Agency said in a discussion on CNBC.

The reaction from Whalen was prompted by a report from Re/code saying that Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) is about to name North Korea as the source of the latest breach in its systems.

“These are acts of war if it turns out that it was the North Koreans. These are hostile acts,” Whalen said in the discussion.

According to Re/code, two sources familiar with an imminent Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) announcement have revealed that the source of the attack on the company’s corporate networks will be revealed to be North Korea.

Whalen, after joking that Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) may have just staged the whole fiasco to generate publicity for “The Interview,” said that North Korea’s chief industries are “bad things” such as counterfeiting. He added that if the hackers who hit Sony are indeed working for the country, it would yet be another demonstration about the trouble coming from the North Korea and China area of Asia.

The interview has generated quite the reaction from North Korea, considered one of the most dangerous countries for tourists in this list.

North Korea has condemned the film which tells the tale of a television producer and his hotshot host and best friend interviewing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and trying to assassinate him. North Korea has promised to retaliate in a “stern” and “merciless” way if the film is released.  The film will be released on Christmas day.

Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) shareholders includes Mario Gabelli’s Gamco Investors which reported owning about 5.35 million shares in the company by the end of the third quarter of the year.