Hackers Blackmail HBO for Bitcoin as They Threaten to Release 1.5 Terabytes of Sensitive Data

 According to news reports HBO network experienced a major cyberattack. The hackers behind it are currently demanding the equivalent of about $6 million in bitcoin, and claim that if they don’t get paid they will release 1.5 terabytes of data they stole from the network.

Reportedly, this includes scripts and other content from the hit series Game of Thrones, as well as sensitive information stored on folders dubbed “Budget,” “Legal”, “Licensing & Retail”, and more.

To prove they really did hack HBO, the hackers released about 3-4 gigabytes of data, that included a list of network administrator passwords, as well as a month’s worth of emails taken from the account of the network’s vice president for film programming, Leslie Cohen.

The hacker(s), dubbed “Mr. Smith” made their demands through a five-minute video that was included in the data dump. With white text scrolling over a black background, they delivered their message that told HBO to pay up, or see 1.5 terabytes of sensitive data – including entire series – get dumped online.

The hackers demanded “6 months worth of salary in bitcoin” which, according to them, means about $6 million. They claim to make between $12 million to $15 million per year blackmailing organizations whose networks they manage to compromise. 

The hackers claimed they will only deal directly with HBO CEO Richard Plepler, and that they will only send payment details once .

Source: cryptocoinsnews.com