HBO Reportedly Offered Hackers $250,000 ‘Bug Bounty Payment’

Hackers behind HBO's recent breach have leaked a screenshot of an email that shows the network offering the hackers $250,000 as a "bug bounty payment."

Tatiana Siegel, Hollywood Reporter, said on 3 August 2017: "As for the motive, the email (from hackers) said: "It's just about money. We have weeks of negotiations with HBO officials, but they broke their promises and want to play with us...So we have one option....Wait till Sunday. HBO is Falling..........."

Ankush Johar, director, BugsBounty.com, said: "This episode of the HBO hack is turning out to be a 'Game of Thorns' for HBO. As far back as July 27, HBO got into a negotiation with the hackers, it appears. A pre-emptive move of running a bug bounty program may have gone very far for HBO, as it would for companies that handle valuable wares.

"There is a possibility that HBO's pre-emptive bug bounty program may have yielded a better security posture for them, avoiding this situation altogether. Ethical hackers are helping hundreds of corporations as well as the US Department of Defense very successfully."