However, the leaks didn’t affect Game of Thrones in the long run as the show continued to break the records.
GOT hacker has been identified
On Tuesday, the US Department of Justice announced that Behzad Mesri, 29, also known as Skote Vahshat, is the accused of hacking HBO’s networks and stealing data. He has also been accused of demanding $6 million in bitcoin in return.
It’s worth noting that Mesri was previously a hacker for the Iranian Army. The American prosecutors have charged Mesri with different crimes, including wire fraud (it has a penalty of 20 years), aggravated identity theft, and computer hacking.
Apart from stealing, he has also been accused of making efforts to promote the stolen content on the internet by creating a Twitter profile to announce the leaks and sending the emails to media.
“American ingenuity and creativity is to be cultivated and celebrated — not hacked, stolen, and held for ransom. For hackers who test our resolve in protecting our intellectual property — even those hiding behind keyboards in countries far away — eventually, winter will come,” acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said.
At the moment, Mesri isn’t in custody; he’s listed as “wanted” by the FBI. In case his alleged role with the Iranian government is true, the Iranian authorities won’t be comfortable to see him in the U.S.
