NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 An Iran-based hacker plotted to extort HBO out of $6 million by threatening to release stolen episodes and scripts of hit shows, such as \u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d at one point taunting the network with a twist on a catch phrase form that series: \u201cWinter is coming. HBO is falling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An indictment filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan accuses Behzad Mesri of hacking into the cable network\u2019s computer system in New York. It says he stole unaired episodes from shows including \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d and \u201cThe Deuce,\u201d story plot summaries and scripts for \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d and confidential cast and crew contact lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mesri, 29, a fugitive living in Iran who used the alias \u201cSkote Vahshat,\u201d earlier this year infiltrated computer accounts of HBO employees authorized to remotely access the network\u2019s servers, the indictment says. In July, he emailed HBO executives in New York providing evidence of the hack and demanding $5.5 million in digital currency, a figure later raised to $6 million, it says. Included was an image of \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d Night King character, leader of an army of zombies, with the words, \u201cGood luck HBO.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After HBO apparently refused to pay, Mesri began leaking portions of the stolen material on websites he controlled, the indictment says. One of the leaks was an unaired episode of a new HBO comedy called \u201cBarry\u201d on which he superimposed an opening credit showing the Night King and the \u201cHBO is falling\u201d threat, according to the indictment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. authorities described Mesri as a computer whiz who sometimes works with a hacker group in Iran called Turk Black Hat Security. He also has teamed the Iranian military to conduct cyberattacks targeting military and nuclear software systems and Israeli infrastructure, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Mesri is not in custody, prosecutors decided to publicly charge him and put him on the FBI\u2019s most-wanted list to send a message to outlaw hackers that U.S. law enforcement has the means to identify, track and get them arrested if they travel to countries where the United States has better relations, acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToday, winter has come for Behzad Mesri,\u201d Kim said. \u201cHe will forever be looking over his shoulder. And if he isn\u2019t, he should be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement Tuesday, HBO said it is working with law enforcement but declined further comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. prosecutors say a member of an Iran-based hacking group tried to extort HBO out of $6 million in digital currency by stealing unaired episodes and scripts of hit shows like \u201cGame of Thrones.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":69704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"8":{"categories":[],"primary_category":""}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3191],"class_list":["post-23756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"BWZNZY5GU5DNHBWEXE2VMN6DVM","arc_canonical_url":"\/civilian\/fbi-doj\/2017\/11\/21\/iran-based-hacker-charged-with-trying-to-extort-hbo\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n