Hackers demand ransom from Disney over Pirates of the Caribbean 5
The Telegraph
Hackers claiming to have stolen Walt Disneys upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean film are threatening to distribute it online if they arent paid a ransom.
Bob Iger, Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer, revealed the threat on Monday in a town-hall meeting with ABC staff before the networks autumn season presentation to advertisers on Tuesday in New York.
Mr Iger did not reveal the name of the film, nor the amount of the ransom, but said the company would not pay up.
Deadline reported that the film was Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which is due to be released on May 26.
A Disney spokesman declined to comment on the threat.
The alleged extortion attempt is the latest in a string of cybercrimes that are rattling industries from financial services to health care.
Last week cyber attackers infected more than 200,000 computers around the world with so-called ransomware, encrypting their files and demanding payment to release the data.
The NHS was among the targets of what one government official called the biggest criminal cyber attack in history.
The threat received by Disney is similar to one encountered last month by Netflix Inc., in which hackers stole unreleased episodes of the companys hit Orange is the New Black.
Netflix declined to pay any ransom and the shows were leaked online. Variety and other outlets reported that hackers apparently obtained the show through a breach at a post-production company.
In 2014 North Korean hackers targeted Sony Pictures in retaliation for the comedy movie The Interview, a film about a plot to assassinate the countrys leader, Kim Jong-un.
