Episode 63 (season 7, episode 3), debut 7/30/17: Emilia Clarke, Conleth Hill.
photo: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO
HBO is reeling Monday morning from a massive cyber attack in which its prize horse, Game of Thrones, was hacked and leaked. What does this mean for fans?
When it comes to Game of Thrones, nobody’s safe. Not even the fantasy drama’s network. On Monday morning following the airing of Game of Thrones season 7, episode 3 on Sunday night, HBO confirmed the company has been cyberattacked. According to Entertainment Weekly, the hack so far has resulted in one upcoming Game of Thrones script apparently being leaked, along with full episodes of of HBO shows Room 104 and Ballers. And there may be more to come.
In a statement to EW, the network said:
"“HBO recently experienced a cyber incident, which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information. We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold.”"
Hacks like this have crippled entertainment companies in recent years. Back in 2014, hackers reportedly swiped 100 terabytes of data from Sony. Netflix was hacked earlier this year.
Game of Thrones in particular is a hot target for hackers and the show tends to keep its content closely guarded. When episodes of season 5 were leaked ahead of time, HBO stopped their practice of offering critics review copies. At San Diego Comic-Con, a season 7 trailer made its way onto the internet before its official release.
So what might this mean for GoT fans? Well, depending on their level of lawfulness, they could probably spoiler themselves if they can dig up the aforementioned leaked script. And if the hack is just starting to unfold as hackers have suggested, there could be a lot more to see and learn, i.e. full episodes.
Next: Game of Thrones season 7, episode 3: Twitter reaction
The internet is riddled enough with spoilers, so if you must know, keep that info to yourself please. More law-abiding fans can check out the next Game of Thrones Sunday at 9/8 CT.