HBO Has Fallen Victim to a Cyber Attack
Today, HBO confirms that they became victims of a cyber attack. The cyber attackers stole an unknown amount of data. A few things have begun to pop up online, with the hackers promising more to come soon.
The first stolen items to hit the internet were unreleased episodes of Ballers and Room 104, and apparently a script for next week’s episode of Game of Thrones. In a recent statement with EW, HBO says:
“HBO recently experienced a cyber incident, which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information. We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cyber security firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold.”
The data is hitting the internet slowly, so HBO may have a chance to salvage some of the stolen items before they leak. According to the hackers, they stole 1.5 terabytes of data from the cable network’s servers.
Cyber Attackers are getting better at their craft, and unsuspecting networks and film studios are easy victims for their crimes. This attack is just one among a string of cyber thefts including the big Sony hack that happened in 2014. The hack affected the release and planning of many films, including the James Franco and Seth Rogen film The Interview. The attacked forced Sony Pictures to release the film for free online.
