Aug 2, 2017

HBO tells employees email safe after massive hack

Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

HBO CEO Richard Plepler told staff Wednesday that he didn't believe that their email system — which had reportedly been the vehicle for a hack earlier this week — was "as a whole" compromised, but that "the forensic review is ongoing," according to Variety. Plepler notified employees in response to reports the day before that 1.5 terabytes of HBO internal documents, including personal information about employees and at least one 'Game of Thrones' script, had been hacked.

Why it matters: From a security perspective, even if the company finds that employees' emails are safe, sensitive information like health records and financial information has still reportedly been leaked. From a financial perspective, HBO continues to have problems with people illegally obtaining their content. (For example, a single episode of Game of Thrones has been downloaded illegally 90 million times, according to piracy analysis company MUSO.)

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We usually think of Memorial Day as the start of the summer, with all of the fun and relaxation that goes with it — but this one is just going to remind us of all of the plans that have been ruined by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: If you thought it was stressful to be locked down during the spring, just wait until everyone realizes that all the traditional summer activities we've been looking forward to are largely off-limits this year.

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  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

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Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

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By the numbers: More than 97,700 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 366,700 Americans have recovered and more than 14.1 million tests have been conducted.

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