Hacker Suspected of Extorting HBO Over ‘Game of Thrones’ Script is Charged (Digital Trends)
Winter is coming for the hacker involved in one of the most publicized computer hacks of 2017. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York named Iranian citizen Behzad Mesri responsible for the HBO hack that resulted in valuable data being stolen from the cable network, including full episodes, and plot information for an unaired Game of Thrones episode.
According to the indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Mesri allegedly hacked into HBO’s computer servers to access the data by compromising multiple user accounts associated with HBO employees and other “authorized users.” Mesri allegedly stole unaired episodes of HBO series The Deuce, Room 104, Ballers, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The indictment states, days after the hack, HBO received an anonymous email from the hacker threatening to wipe “80 terabyte hard drives.”
Mesri reportedly attempted to extort HBO for $6 million in Bitcoin. Days after the hack took place, the hacker released a message sent by HBO offering the anonymous hacker a $250,000 “bounty payment,” which HBO used as a stall tactic to determine the severity of the situation.