Tit-for-Tat Cyber Retaliation by U.S. Over Sony Seen as Unlikely

If the U.S. decides to retaliate over North Korea’s alleged hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment computers, officials could target the government’s financial resources, its illicit drug and counterfeiting operations or the hackers themselves.

One thing the Obama administration is unlikely to do is unleash a tit-for-tat cyber attack, analysts said. Any eventual U.S. response also will likely be unannounced, in order to avoid feeding the North Koreans’ desire for a public showdown with the world’s sole superpower.