Incident: HBO Hacked: Iranian National Steals Game of Thrones Data

Published Date: 2017-11-21

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the hacking of HBO and stealing unaired episodes and plot summaries for programs like "Game of Thrones" happened from May to August [65184]. Therefore, the software failure incident occurred between May and August of the same year as the article was published, which is 2017.
System 1. HBO's computer systems 2. HBO's servers 3. HBO employee credentials 4. HBO's data security measures 5. HBO's network access controls [65184]
Responsible Organization 1. Iranian national Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat," was responsible for causing the software failure incident by hacking into cable TV network HBO and stealing episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs, including "Game of Thrones" [65184].
Impacted Organization 1. HBO [65184]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was hacking into HBO's network by Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat," to steal unaired episodes and plot summaries of programs like "Game of Thrones" [65184].
Non-software Causes 1. The hacker, Behzad Mesri, was motivated by financial gain, as he demanded $6 million in extortion emails to HBO staff [65184]. 2. The cyber attack on HBO was part of a larger geopolitical issue, as Mesri had allegedly worked on behalf of Iran's military to attack military systems, nuclear software systems, and Israeli infrastructure [65184].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident led to the theft of unaired episodes and plot summaries of popular TV programs, including "Game of Thrones," "Ballers," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "The Deuce" [Article 65184]. 2. The incident resulted in the hacker demanding $6 million in extortion from HBO staff to keep the stolen data secret [Article 65184]. 3. The software failure incident caused reputational damage to HBO and potential financial losses, although the exact cost was not disclosed [Article 65184].
Preventions 1. Implementing strong cybersecurity measures such as multi-factor authentication and regular security audits to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data [65184]. 2. Conducting thorough employee training on cybersecurity best practices to prevent phishing attacks and unauthorized sharing of credentials [65184]. 3. Regularly updating and patching software systems to address vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers [65184].
Fixes 1. Enhancing cybersecurity measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches, such as implementing stronger authentication protocols and encryption methods [65184].
References 1. U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan 2. Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim 3. Prosecutors 4. HBO spokesman Jeff Cusson 5. Reuters 6. Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York 7. Editing by David Gregorio and Bernadette Baum 8. Thomson Reuters Trust Principles 9. Jim Finkle in Toronto [65184]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the hack into cable TV network HBO and stealing episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs, including "Game of Thrones," by Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat, is a unique incident specific to HBO and its content. There is no mention in the article of a similar incident happening before within the same organization. (b) The article does not mention any similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus is on the specific cyber attack on HBO orchestrated by Behzad Mesri.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in this case can be attributed to the design phase. The Iranian hacker, Behzad Mesri, targeted HBO by hacking into their system and stealing unaired episodes and plot summaries of various programs, including "Game of Thrones." He obtained credentials that HBO employees use to access the network and used those accounts to steal data from the company's servers. This breach was a result of vulnerabilities in the system design that allowed unauthorized access and data theft [65184]. (b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. Mesri demanded up to $6 million in extortion emails to HBO staff to keep the stolen data secret. This extortion and misuse of the stolen information by threatening to release it unless paid can be considered a failure in the operation or misuse of the system [65184].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily within_system. The incident involved a hacker, Behzad Mesri, infiltrating HBO's network by hacking into the system and stealing unaired episodes and plot summaries of various programs, including "Game of Thrones." Mesri obtained credentials of HBO employees to access the network and demanded a ransom of $6 million to keep the stolen data secret [65184].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically the hacking activities carried out by Behzad Mesri, an Iranian national, who gained unauthorized access to HBO's network and stole episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs, including "Game of Thrones." Mesri used his hacking skills to breach HBO's systems and demanded a ransom of $6 million to prevent the release of the stolen data [65184]. (b) Human actions also played a significant role in this software failure incident. Behzad Mesri, the hacker responsible for the breach, deliberately targeted HBO's network, stole sensitive data, and attempted to extort money from the company. Additionally, HBO employees' credentials were compromised, which allowed Mesri to access the network and steal the data. The human factor of extortion and identity theft by Mesri contributed to the overall failure [65184].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily related to software rather than hardware. The incident involved a hacker, Behzad Mesri, infiltrating HBO's network and stealing unaired episodes and plot summaries of various TV programs, including "Game of Thrones." This breach was a result of Mesri hacking into HBO's systems and obtaining credentials to access the network, allowing him to steal data from the company's servers [65184]. The failure originated in the software systems and security vulnerabilities of HBO's network, rather than being attributed to hardware issues.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat," hacked into cable TV network HBO with the intent to steal unaired episodes and plot summaries for programs like "Game of Thrones" and then threatened to release the data unless he was paid $6 million. He demanded the ransom in extortion emails to HBO staff, indicating a deliberate act to harm the system [65184].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions [a] The intent of the software failure incident was related to poor decisions made by the Iranian hacker Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat." Mesri hacked into cable TV network HBO, stole unaired episodes and plot summaries for various programs including "Game of Thrones," and then threatened to release the data unless he was paid $6 million. This act of extortion and cybercrime demonstrates a deliberate and calculated decision on the part of Mesri to exploit the stolen data for financial gain, indicating poor ethical and moral judgment [65184].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) unknown (a) The software failure incident in this case was not due to development incompetence but rather a deliberate act of hacking by an individual identified as Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat" [65184]. (b) The software failure incident was intentional and malicious, as Behzad Mesri hacked into HBO's network, stole unaired episodes and plot summaries of various programs, including "Game of Thrones," and demanded a ransom of $6 million to prevent the release of the stolen data [65184].
Duration temporary The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. The hacker, Behzad Mesri, hacked into HBO's network from May to August, stealing unaired episodes and plot summaries of various programs, including "Game of Thrones." During this period, he demanded $6 million in extortion emails to keep the stolen data secret. This indicates that the failure was temporary and occurred within a specific timeframe due to the actions of the hacker [65184].
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in this case does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is more focused on hacking and data theft rather than a system crash [65184]. (b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The incident is more related to hacking and stealing data rather than the system failing to perform its functions [65184]. (c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident is more about hacking and extortion rather than timing issues [65184]. (d) value: The software failure incident does involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The hacker stole unaired episodes, scripts, and plot summaries, and demanded money in exchange for not releasing the data, which is an incorrect and malicious use of the system [65184]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident is more about a deliberate and targeted hacking attack rather than erratic behavior of the system [65184]. (f) other: The software failure incident involves a behavior where the hacker gained unauthorized access to HBO's network, stole sensitive data, and demanded ransom. This behavior can be categorized as a cyber attack or cybercrime, where the system was compromised for malicious purposes [65184].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident involved the hacking of cable TV network HBO by Behzad Mesri, resulting in the theft of unaired episodes and plot summaries for various programs, including "Game of Thrones." Mesri demanded $6 million in extortion emails to HBO staff to keep the stolen data secret, indicating a direct impact on the company's material goods and data [65184].
Domain entertainment (a) The failed system was related to the entertainment industry. The incident involved the hacking of cable TV network HBO and the theft of episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs, including popular shows like "Game of Thrones," "Ballers," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "The Deuce" [Article 65184].

Sources

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