HBO Hacked: Game of Thrones Data Stolen

Posted: August 3, 2017 to News.

Tags: Data Breach, Malware, Compliance

If you haven't been living with the stone men in Old Valyria, you've probably heard of the megahit TV show Game of Thrones, which is HBO's biggest cash cow right now. (And no, if you aren't a hardcore viewer of the show, you probably won't get that joke.) Regardless of where you live, you may or may not have heard that HBO was recently hacked, and a number of episodes from several HBO series are purportedly available online through illegal downloads. That's not the worst of the hack, though. In all, the hacker stole a terabyte and a half of data. The juicy news is that the data includes yet-to-be-seen episodes of shows including Ballers (starring Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson), the ironically titled Insecure, Room 104 and two episodes of Barry, a show starring SNL alum Bill Hader that isn't even scheduled to premiere until next year. There's also a possible Game of Thrones script. While all of that might be titillating for people who download TV shows from filesharing websites , more damaging is that the hacker was able to steal employee information and internal documents. It's worse for one particular HBO executive as the hackers were able to access his or her online access to health services, various online subscriptions, and even their bank account. HBO released a statement assuring their employees that their email addresses hadn't been compromised. They are offering credit monitoring services, however.

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About the Author

Craig Petronella

CEO, Founder & AI Architect, Petronella Technology Group

Craig Petronella founded Petronella Technology Group in 2002 and has spent more than 30 years working at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, compliance, and digital forensics. He holds the CMMC Registered Practitioner credential (RP-1372) issued by the Cyber AB, is an NC Licensed Digital Forensics Examiner (License #604180-DFE), and completed MIT Professional Education programs in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity. Craig also holds CompTIA Security+, CCNA, and Hyperledger certifications.

He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author of 15+ books on cybersecurity and compliance, host of the Encrypted Ambition podcast (95+ episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon), and a cybersecurity keynote speaker with 200+ engagements at conferences, law firms, and corporate boardrooms. Craig serves as Contributing Editor for Cybersecurity at NC Triangle Attorney at Law Magazine and is a guest lecturer at NCCU School of Law. He has served as a digital forensics expert witness in federal and state court cases involving cybercrime, cryptocurrency fraud, SIM-swap attacks, and data breaches.

Under his leadership, Petronella Technology Group has served 2,500+ clients, maintained a zero-breach record among compliant clients, earned a BBB A+ rating every year since 2003, and been featured as a cybersecurity authority on CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, and WRAL. The company leverages SOC 2 Type II certified platforms and specializes in AI implementation, managed cybersecurity, CMMC/HIPAA/SOC 2 compliance, and digital forensics for businesses across the United States.

CMMC-RP NC Licensed DFE MIT Certified CompTIA Security+ Expert Witness 15+ Books

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HBO Hacked: Game of Thrones Data Stolen

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