For years HBO has threatened those who illegally download its hit show Game of Thrones with strongly worded letters. Put into context, HBO’s gentle reminder that Game of Thrones is available legally through an online subscription makes sense from a business standpoint. The premiere of its seventh season saw over 90 million streamers pirating the episode, all of whom didn’t pay a single dollar to the specialty provider. Though a download doesn’t necessarily mean HBO has lost a sale, it does imply its losing potential millions in subscription fees.
Someone on the web took umbrage to these letters in August and decided to hit back. HBO was the target of a security breach that leaked roughly 1.5 terabytes of confidential information onto the web. So far, only 3.4 gigabytes of information has seen the light of day, but hackers threaten to leak the remaining data if an undisclosed ransom isn’t met. [Read more…] about HBO Hacked As It Cracks Down On Illegal Streamers