America seeks China’s help after cyberattack

The United States is asking China for help as it weighs potential responses to a cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment that the US has blamed on North Korea. A senior Obama administration official says the US and China have shared information about the attack and that the US has asked for China’s cooperation. The official also says China agrees with the US that destructive cyberattacks violate the norms of appropriate behavior in cyberspace.The official wasn’t authorized to comment by name and demanded anonymity. President Barack Obama is considering how to respond to the attack on Sony’s networks while he vacations this week in Hawaii.

 China holds considerable leverage over North Korea. But Obama has pointedly accused China of carrying out cybertheft, too. China’s cooperation would be essential to any attempt to crack down on North Korea’s cyber-warfare operations, as the country’s telecommunications run through Chinese-operated networks.