• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechHBO

HBO to Employees After Massive Hack: Your Emails Are Safe… We Think

By
John Patrick Pullen
John Patrick Pullen
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Patrick Pullen
John Patrick Pullen
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 2, 2017, 5:11 PM ET

Like a foreign army breaking into Game of Thrones‘ Casterly Rock, hackers have slipped into HBO’s servers — and the damage appears to be much more devastating than previously reported.

According to a report by Entertainment Weekly on Monday, the cybercrooks who hacked HBO’s network lifted upcoming episodes of Ballers and Room 104, as well as a script from an upcoming Game of Thrones episode. The Hollywood Reporter added to the picture on Wednesday with a report that HBO insiders, because there has been no ransom, fear emails and other sensitive information could be released.

“At this time, we do not believe that our e-mail system as a whole has been compromised,” said chairman Richard Plepler in an email to staffers on Wednesday, “but the forensic review is ongoing.”

It’s still unclear what else was taken, but the hack involved 1.5 terabytes of data, EW reported. The high-profile 2014 Sony Pictures hack, by comparison, was reportedly just 200 gigabytes, but contained extremely sensitive documents, including emails.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Regardless of what was included in the data grab, if it was related to Game of Thrones, the network’s prized property, it is valuable. The show recently set records around the globe, with 30 million U.S. viewers tuning in to watch its most recent season premiere, as well as other viewership jumps in Europe and Asia.

Like a true cliffhanger, no one knows what to expect next from this tale. HBO is working with law enforcement, but it’s unclear if they’ll catch the crooks before they spill the network’s goods all over the web.

About the Author
By John Patrick Pullen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A veiled Iranian woman holds her cellphone displaying a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
CybersecuritySecurity
Cyber retaliation from Iran is a problem for U.S. companies — ‘It’s in the hands of a 19-year-old hacker in a Telegram room,’ ex-NSA operative says
By Amanda GerutMarch 1, 2026
8 hours ago
Two girls look at a white laptop placed on a desk.
AIEducation
American schools weren’t broken until Silicon Valley used a lie to convince them they were—now reading and math scores are plummeting
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
9 hours ago
Big TechSocial Media
YouTube’s cofounder and former tech boss doesn’t want his kids to watch short videos, warning short-form content ‘equates to shorter attention spans’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 1, 2026
13 hours ago
Slack cofounder Stewart Butterfield
SuccessProductivity
Slack cofounder says workers and CEOs can get stuck doing ‘fake’ work like pre-meetings and slide shows
By Emma BurleighMarch 1, 2026
13 hours ago
heitmann
CommentaryEntrepreneurship
Here’s how to build something that lasts, from the founder of a $300 million bootstrapped company that’s been growing for 28 years straight
By Tim HeitmannMarch 1, 2026
19 hours ago
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
EnergyData centers
Your utility bills keep going up. Here’s everyone you can blame—AI data centers included
By Jordan BlumMarch 1, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Your grandparents are the reason the U.S. isn't in a recession right now. That won't last forever
By Eleanor PringleMarch 1, 2026
19 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
MacKenzie Scott's close relationship with Toni Morrison long before Amazon put her on the path give more than $1 billion to HBCUs
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 1, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Middle East
As Iran attacks Dubai, the tax-free haven for the global elite could see 'catastrophic' fallout — 'this can also send shockwaves globally'
By Jason MaMarch 1, 2026
11 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Trump's universal 401(k) architect on why lower-income people distrust retirement accounts: 'they want to know what the catch is'
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 28, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Gen Z men are eating ‘boy kibble,’ the human equivalent to dog food, to load up on protein cheaply
By Jake AngeloMarch 1, 2026
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
The week the AI scare turned real and America realized maybe it isn't ready for what's coming
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 28, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.