By this point, it is nothing new to hear about an episode of Game of Thrones being leaked onto the internet. Actually, the most recent episode, “The Spoils of War“, was leaked about a week before its premiere. However, HBO quickly discovered that much more than that had recently been stolen by hackers.
The hackers stole over 3.4 GB of data, which, not only included scripts for future episodes but the personal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the Game of Thrones cast and crew. According to a video sent to HBO, the hackers are holding the information, possibly including actual future episodes, for ransom. Extortion seems to be the only reason behind the most recent attack. According to numerous reports, the video said, “HBO spends 12 million for Market Research and 5 million for advertisements. So consider us another budget for your advertisements!”
The network is working tirelessly to investigate, internally and externally, the cause behind the attack. As of right now, they have no reason to believe that the hackers would have had access to the company’s email databases. According to a statement from HBO to Polygon:
HBO believed that further leaks might emerge from this cyber incident when we confirmed it last week. As we said, the forensic review is ongoing. While it has been reported that a number of emails have been made public, the review to date has not given us a reason to believe that our e-mail system as a whole has been compromised.
We continue to work around the clock with outside cybersecurity firms and law enforcement to resolve the incident. Meanwhile, our dedicated employees continue to focus on delivering the high quality of entertainment and service for which we are known.
What are your thoughts on the threat to HBO and our beloved Game of Thrones? Let us know in the comments below, and keep an eye on The Nerd Stash for all of your Thrones news and reviews!
