In the latest news of cybercrime, HBO joins the ranks of top Hollywood Entertainment Companies once again. The American premium satellite and cable TV network is a victim of another major cyber-attack, resulting in the theft of proprietary information of the spoiler-plagued “Game of Thrones” and other TV shows. Several news outlets, including Reuters and Entertainment weekly, quoted an email from unidentified hackers:
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“Hi to all mankind. The greatest leak of cyber space era is happening. What’s its name? Oh I forget to tell. Its HBO and Game of Thrones……!!!!!! You are lucky to be the first pioneers to witness and download the leak. Enjoy it & spread the words. Whoever spreads well, we will have an interview with him. HBO is falling.”
The hackers also revealed that they have stolen 1.5 terabytes of information. Currently, one episode each of “Ballers” and “Room 104” have already surfaced the internet. However, there are no updates on the episodes of GoT appearing yet. There is a little certainty of the hackers stealing a script or story treatment, which may describe the next week’s episode of the TV show. The hackers have also promised that more will be “coming soon”, hinting that this is only a trailer.
The news is quite shocking for HBO, but individuals without subscriptions may just be in for a treat – especially if GoT episodes do hit the internet earlier. For years, HBO has been fighting the cyber-battle to protect their hit TV show’s secrets from illegal distribution. In season 5, almost four episodes surfaced online, before the premier, after HBO sent review DVDs to industry and press insiders. Since then, the entertainment company has halted the practice of sending episodes in advance.
The same year, images of Jon Snow dying, along with other clips also found their way online – before the finale aired. These content leaks are painful for entertainment companies spending millions of dollars in production. “Game of Thrones” is an exceptionally valuable property for HBO. Its seventh season has become the highest-rated cable program across all platforms! There were almost 12.7 people tuned into HBO for the premier, along with another 6 million watching on streaming platforms like HBO GO.
Given these figures, it is clear HBO has a strong interest in making sure viewers do not get “Game of Thrones” without an HBO subscription, yet the internet always manages to win some way or the other. In light of this recent cyber-attack, HBO chief executive Richard Plepler reported the breach in an email to employees on Monday Morning.
“As most of you have probably heard by now, there has been a cyber-incident directed at the company which has resulted in some stolen proprietary information, including some of our programming,” he wrote. “Any intrusion of this nature is obviously disruptive, unsettling, and disturbing for all of us. I can assure you that senior leadership and our extraordinary technology team, along with outside experts, are working round the clock to protect our collective interests. The efforts across multiple departments have been nothing short of herculean. It is a textbook example of quintessential HBO teamwork. The problem before us is unfortunately all too familiar in the world we now find ourselves a part of. As has been the case with any challenge we have ever faced, I have absolutely no doubt that we will navigate our way through this successfully.”
It is clear tensions are high for HBO as they try to stabilize the situation. However, if you are one of those people who are not bothered about what happens in the Cyber World, and just concerned about watching “Game of Thrones”, we have some good news for you. Here is how you can enjoy watching the TV show on HBO Now in Canada or for FREE on Kodi! Glad we could be of service. Have a great day freebies, and do not forget to like and share.
