Hackers have successfully gained entrance into the network of HBO and have released some sensitive data regarding one of the most watched and anticipated TV shows, Game Of Thrones online.
According to reports, the hackers have released sensitive data including the names and personal details of actors and actresses in the series to include their emails, phone numbers and other details. Also, the hackers released work related emails and scripts in the latest dump of data stolen from the company.
The hackers are demanding millions of dollars from the company to prevent it from releasing the whole of the TV shows and further confidential details.
The hackers in a five minute long video released online called themselves “Mr Smith” and read a letter addressed to the HBO chief executive, Richard Plepler. The letter stated that the hackers are giving an ultimatum of three days to the company for response or they would publish all confidential information about the company including the corporate data which they claim to have stolen.
The hackers further claimed to have in their possession over 1.5TB of data which is an equivalent of several of Game Of Thrones TV series box sets or millions of documents.
However, HBO has stated that it does not believe its email system as a whole has been compromised. The company however acknowledge that there has been theft of “proprietary information”.
HBO further stated that it will continue in its investigation to fish out the culprits of the cyber attack as it is working closely with the police and cybersecurity experts.
The hackers made demands for “six-month salary in bitcoin” stating that they earn as much as between $12 million and $15 million annually from the illegal business of blackmail and cyber attack.
The hackers further stated that they would only deal directly with “Richard” and only send one “letter” containing payment details.
To prove their point, the hackers sent out 3.4GB of files containing technical data detailing HBO’s internal network and administrator passwords, draft scripts from five Game of Thrones episodes. The episodes include this week’s installment along with a month’s worth of emails from HBO’s vice president for film programming, Leslie Cohen.
The hackers also claimed it took them six months to penetrate into the network of the company, a task which has consumed about $500,000, an amount which is spent on yearly purchase of a so called zero-day exploits that let them break into networks through holes which is yet to be discovered by Microsoft and other software companies.