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    HBO plays down threat of hacked internal documents

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3078 Views
    In a Thursday, May 11, 2017, file photo, HBO CEO Richard Plepler attends a screening of HBO's "The Wizard of Lies" at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    HBO, which acknowledged Monday that hackers had broken into its systems and stolen "proprietary information," now says the attackers likely haven't breached the network's entire email system.

    In a Wednesday email to employees, CEO Richard Plepler wrote that "we do not believe that our email system as a whole has been compromised."

    He added that a review continues, and said HBO is hiring an outside firm to help employees monitor their financial accounts.

    Purported hackers said in email that they'd accessed HBO's internal network and email system and then posted stolen information online. An archived version of the named website appeared to have links to downloadable episodes for several HBO shows, including "Insecure" and
    "Ballers," and what it said was a link to "script & film" to two "Game of Thrones" episodes, including an upcoming one.

    AP did not test the links. The site was not loading Wednesday afternoon.

    But HBO appeared to indirectly confirm that this website linked to potentially sensitive internal material including "documents, images, videos and sound."

    On Tuesday, a company called IP-Echelon filed a report with Google on behalf of HBO, noting that the named website "shares thousands of Home Box Office (HBO) internal company documents." IP-Echelon Pty Ltd. regularly files such copyright-infringement notices on behalf of large media entertainment companies, including HBO.

    Federal law requires internet companies like Google to remove links to sites that infringe copyright once they receive such notifications. Google routinely forward such notices to the longstanding public-interest repository Lumen, formerly known as Chilling Effects, once it has complied.

    A Google spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment. An HBO spokesman declined to comment on the takedown notice. Messages left with IP-Echelon were not answered.

    Previous hacks have created significant repercussions in Hollywood. Sony struggled in the aftermath of its huge hack in 2014, which leaked embarrassing employee emails as well as films.

    But earlier this year, when another hacker held stolen episodes of new Netflix shows for ransom, Netflix apparently refused to pay. When the episodes appeared online, the company merely shrugged.

     

    Tags:BallersGame of ThronesHBORichard Plepler



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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