Sony chief thanks supporters after 'vicious and malicious' cyber attack

Sony chief Kazuo Hirai called the devastating hack on the company "vicious and malicious," in his first public comments about the attack that derailed the launch of controversial comedy "The Interview."

Speaking Monday at a press event on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hirai thanked supporters who stood by the company in the face of the massive cyber assault, including employees and movie-goers who saw the film when it finally hit theaters.

"Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association -- those are important lifelines of Sony and our entertainment business," Hirai said.

His comments were his first public statements about the attack on the Japanese company's film and television unit.

"We are proud of partners who stood up against extortionist efforts by criminals who attacked Sony," Hirai said.

Sony employees, he added, "were victims of one of the most vicious and malicious cyber attacks we have known, certainly in recent history."

"The Interview" is now showing at 580 independent theaters in the US, in addition to online platforms, according to Hirai.

"I want to thank all the partners who made this possible, media who supported the launch, and those who have gone out to see the movie," Hirai said.

"Thank you for being part of that great event," he added, before ending with a quip referring to another Sony Pictures Entertainment film released during the year-end holidays.

"Annie is a great movie as well," he said.

- Movie plot to kill Kim Jong-Un -

The late-November cyber attack against Sony led to an online leak of employee information, unreleased films and embarrassing in-house emails.

The hackers also mounted threats against Sony over the planned Christmas release of "The Interview," which depicts a fictional CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

Threats by hackers issued after the cyberattack on Sony Pictures initially prompted the movie giant to cancel the film's Christmas Day release, after many large US theater chains got cold feet.

The comedy, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, eventually opened on December 25 in more than 300 independent movie houses that offered to show the film after Sony came under fire for pulling it.

US investigators have said North Korea, which has repeatedly denied involvement, was behind the attack, but some experts have raised doubts about the conclusions of the FBI probe.

US President Barack Obama last week authorized a new layer of sanctions on several Pyongyang institutions and officials, in retaliation for the alleged cyber attack on Sony Pictures.

North Korea on Sunday lashed out at the fresh sanctions, criticizing Washington for refusing a proposed joint investigation.

The impoverished but nuclear-armed state was already heavily sanctioned following a series of nuclear and missile tests staged in violation of UN resolutions.

Pyongyang, which repeatedly slammed the movie as an "act of terror," praised the hacking attack as a "righteous deed" possibly staged by its sympathizers.

The isolated country last month suffered several mysterious Internet outages. The Obama administration denied comment on whether it was linked to the blackouts.