Iranian IDF hacker to face charges in the USA
Behzad Mesri allegedly broke into the Israeli army's computer system in addition to HBO, who produce hit series Game of Thrones
An Iranian man who hacked into Israel’s military is to face charges in the U.S. that he also hacked HBO and snatched Game of Thrones scripts before trying to blackmail the TV production company, threatening to release them online if not.
U.S. prosecutors say Behzad Mesri previously worked for Iran’s military, hacking into the IDF and Israel’s critical infrastructure, before trying to blackmail the studio for $6 million worth of crypto-currency Bitcoin.
The indictment, filed in New York, alleges that in July this year Mesri stole “confidential and proprietary data belonging to HBO, including video files of unaired episodes of Ballers, Barry, Room 104, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Deuce”.
Rather than keep quiet, prosecutors say Mesri “undertook efforts to promote the leaks,” actively seeking journalists to publicise the story.
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