Decade-old data leak prompts Nickelodeon to analyse a breach

The American-based television channel, Nickelodeon, has confirmed a breach in its company systems that resulted in its data being publicly available. However, this TV channel, primarily focusing on children’s shows, stated that the leaked data appears to be decades old.

Nickelodeon is a Paramount-owned TV channel that first aired in 1977 and quickly gained prominence since it targeted audiences to shows that are well-suited for kids.

 

Nickelodeon confirmed that the data leak occurred in their animation department.

 

Before confirming the leak, a rumour circulated within Nickelodeon that its animation department suffered a breach last month. The attackers immediately showed proof of the alleged stolen data by posting some stolen content on social media. The actors showed an extensive collection of about 500 gigabytes of documents and media files.

The cybercriminal attack supposedly happened earlier this year has allegedly ended with Nickelodeon blocking the unauthorised access a couple of months later. However, researchers have not found evidence that the attack and blocking occurred.

According to independent research, the attackers leaked all the stolen files on a private Discord server and reposted them to numerous websites. Additionally, a Nickelodeon representative stated that their company had already initiated an investigation. However, the leaked files do not appear to be the product of a new attack against their systems.

The TV channel’s representative also assured everyone that the leaked information does not include user or employee details and is only limited to production resources and other intellectual property.

The company is also aware of social media posts that allegedly showed files without their consent. Hence, they have also set up a separate investigation into the matter.

Analysing the leaked data dump could take an extended period, but based on Nickelodeon’s statement, the cybercriminal attack does not pose any serious threat that could compromise anyone.

On the other hand, cybersecurity experts are not sure about Nickelodeon’s claims since even if the leaked content is old and does not cause significant damage, it is still illegal to redistribute the copyright-protected intellectual property. Lastly, people who engage in these situations could face legal consequences.