NSA Director: Must Be 'Price to Pay' for Cyber Attacks

The director of the National Security Agency thinks the recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures could set a precedent for future attacks aimed at the United States.

In an exclusive interview with FOXBusiness.coms Firewall, Admiral Michael Rogers -- who is also the head of U.S. Cyber Command -- voiced his concern over the possibility that aggressors could utilize cyber means to accomplish other goals.

What if next time its a nation-state, a group, an individual who doesnt like some other product, who doesnt like a policy, or who doesnt agree with an action that the United States or private entities within the United States take, Rogers told Firewall. This starts us down a very destabilizing road if were not careful.

Admiral Rogers echoed remarks by the White House and the FBI saying that the perpetrator in the Sony case was, indeed, North Korea.

The Sony Pictures attack was one of many cybersecurity-related issues discussed with Admiral Rogers, who sat down with Firewall before giving a keynote address at Fordham Universitys annual International Conference on Cyber Security in New York on Thursday.

The NSA chief also elaborated on testimony he gave before the House Intelligence Committee in November concerning the potential vulnerability of critical U.S. infrastructure to Chinese hackers and other nation-states.

I did that very publicly, in part, because I want to make sure everyone understands this is very real, this is nothing theoretical, Rogers said.

Admiral Rogers described the breadth of threats that the United States face in the cyber domain. He drove home the fact that significant hack attacks not only emanate from technically advanced nations but also from criminal organizations and rogue groups, calling the cyber problem "the great equalizer."

Following Wednesdays terror attack in Paris, France, Admiral Rogers also expressed concern over the growing threat of lone wolf terror making its way to the U.S. homeland. That certainly increases the challenge from an intelligence perspective, Rogers said.

You can watch Firewalls entire interview with Admiral Michael Rogers by clicking the video thumbnails at the top of the page.

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NSA Director: Must Be 'Price to Pay' for Cyber Attacks