(Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged an Iranian national with hacking into cable TV network HBO and stealing episodes and plot summaries for unaired programs including "Game of Thrones," then threatening to release the data unless he was paid $6 million.
Behzad Mesri, also known as "Skote Vahshat," was charged with the hack in a sealed indictment that was released on Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan.Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said at a news conference that Mesri was in Iran. He said Mesri would face consequences even though U.S. authorities could not immediately arrest him."He will never be able to travel outside of Iran without fear of being arrested and brought here," Kim said.Kim described Mesri as an "experienced and sophisticated hacker who has been wreaking havoc on computer systems around the world for some time."Prosecutors said Mesri had worked on behalf of Iran's military to attack military systems, nuclear software systems and Israeli infrastructure. They also alleged that he helped an Iranian hacking group, Turk Black Hat Security Team, deface hundreds of websites in the United States and other countries.The cyber attack surfaced over the summer as HBO was running a new season of "Game of Thrones," and as the cable network's parent Time Warner Inc