US prosecutors have charged an Iranian man they believe to have been behind the hacking into HBO and a $6 million ransom demand.
Behzad Mesri stands accused of computer fraud, wire fraud, extortion and identity theft. It is alleged Mesri, who also uses the name Skote Vahshat, stole episodes and storylines of dramas including the premium channel’s international hit Game of Thrones. He also gained access to scripts from Ballers and Room 104.
Acting US Attorney Joon Kim described Mesri as an experienced and sophisticated hacker who had also worked on behalf of Iran to attack military systems. Nuclear software systems and Israeli infrastructure.
But there lies the problem, Mesri is resident in Iran, and though Kim warned of consequences it seems unlikely that US authorities would be able to arrest him unless he left.
Documents show how Mesri began research into HBO’s computer networks and staff in May 2017. He then began to successfully compromise a number of user accounts before gaining access to the company’s media servers.
