'Game Of Thrones,' 'Room 104' Episodes Leaked In HBO Cyberattack

LOS ANGELES, CA — Cable giant HBO confirmed Monday that the network is the victim of a cyberattack by hackers who may have stolen and leaked exclusive programming.

While acknowledging the hack, HBO officials declined to say which programs were targeted, but The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly are reporting that episodes of "Game of Thrones," "Ballers" and "Room 104" were leaked online. It's not the first time HBO has been hacked. "Game of Thrones" was the target of a 2015 attack that saw the first four episodes leaked before the season premiere. The attack is a growing trend of cyberattack targeting popular film and TV franchises often threatening to leak films unless a ransom is met.

In a statement, network officials said the company had "recently" been hit by an attack "which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information.

"We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold.”

An email message sent early Monday by HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler alerted employees.

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Addressed to "colleagues," the message reads, "As most of you have probably heard by now, there has been a cyber incident directed at the company which has resulted in some stolen proprietary information, including some of our programming. Any intrusion of this nature is obviously disruptive, unsettling, and disturbing for all of us."

"I can assure you that senior leadership and our extraordinary technology team, along with outside experts, are working round the clock to protect our collective interests," Plepler wrote. "The efforts across multiple departments have been nothing short of herculean. It is a textbook example of quintessential HBO teamwork. The problem before us is unfortunately all too familiar in the world we now find ourselves a part of. As has been the case with any challenge we have ever faced, I have absolutely no doubt that we will navigate our way through this successfully."

In 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment was famously hacked, revealing private emails and confidential information which was leaked online.

Watch: Hackers Say They Took 1.5 Terabytes From HBO, Including Upcoming Shows

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. First photo credit: HBO via Amazon