Iranian hacker identified and charged for the massive HBO hack

Game of Thrones is one of the most popular shows, and is the number one pirated shows of all time. We all remember how piracy ruined the Game of Thrones Season 7 experience because of the massive HBO hack that had occurred.

Somebody hacked into HBO and stole terabytes worth of data, including episodes, scripts, and plot summaries for multiple HBO shows, including Game of Thrones, and demanded $7 million to not release it. That somebody has now been identified, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s as the Iranian hacker, Behzad Mesri. Read on!

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan, New York, charged Iranian hacker Behzad Mesri, who also goes by the alias “Skote Vahshat,” in a sealed indictment that was released today, reported Reuters. U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said in a statement that Mesri an “experienced and sophisticated hacker who has been wreaking havoc on computer systems around the world for some time,” is in Iran, and will face action :

“He will never be able to travel outside of Iran without fear of being arrested and brought here.”

Mesri apparently has a bad record, having worked on attacking military systems on behalf of the Iranian army, and aiding an Iranian hacking group called Turk Black Hat Security Team, attack and deface hundreds of websites.

Mesri apparently gained access by stealing credentials used by HBO staff, and then used his access to steal data, including plot descriptions and scripts of Game of Thrones. He had been demanding $6 million in threatening messages, and with crude warnings saying HBO will ‘fall’ if it doesn’t pay. It seems that HBO didn’t give in to any of the demands, but rather decided to fight back using the legal system.

We will be updating you as we hear more about the hacker, possibly his capture or a statement from him. Talk to us in the comments, down below!

 

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