Criticism of streaming services has been growing rampant recently, as what seems like an endless barrage of lackluster content has flooded the numerous platforms. But the rise in streaming has also come with another issue: compromised data security.
2023 saw a nearly 20% increase in data breaches, as well as an almost 70% increase in ransomware attacks from 2022. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that cybercrimes, which they define as “damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement, fraud, post-attack disruption to the normal course of business, forensic investigation, restoration and deletion of hacked data and systems, and reputational harm” will cost the world $10.5 trillion by 2025. Both Ryan Lassman (’27) and Zoe Stahl (’25) said they worried “a lot” about hackers. An IBM survey found that 95% of participating organizations had more than one data breach per year. One of these companies was Iyuno.
Based in Burbank, California, Iyuno is one of Netflix’s post production partners. It has subtitled 35 million minutes and dubbed 10 million minutes of content in more than 100 languages since its founding in 1974.
In early August, content was stolen by hackers, including footage, clips, and even full episodes of shows and movies set to release in late 2024 and 2025.
Iyuno released a statement on August 9, saying that “protecting our clients’ confidentiality and ensuring the security of their content is our highest priority. We are actively investigating this security breach to mitigate any potential risks and identify the responsible parties.”
Much of the content stolen was released on online platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and 4Chan, and though most has been taken down, some screenshotted hyperlinks still exist. Leaked shows include new seasons of Heartstopper, Arcane, Dandadan, Ranma ½, Terminator Zero, and Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, as well as movies Plankton: The Movie, Spellbound, and Mononoke: The Movie. Much of the leaked footage had time stamps, watermarks, or incomplete sound and visual effects.
An anonymous user under the name Jace Johnson claimed to have been sent episodes from the fifth season of Stranger Things, but later revealed they were lying.
In reaction, some people have called for Netflix to release any leaked content early. Stahl disagrees: “They definitely shouldn’t officially release it.” She argues that many fans are likely avoiding the leaks to support the creators, and appearance on the platform would only lose Netflix money. Lassman argues that it would show “that the hackers are forcing them to make a move and shows people that these big companies aren’t as strong and secure as people think.”
This breach came relatively quickly after several scenes from HBO Max’s House of the Dragon season 2 finale were leaked on TikTok five days before its official release. This leak also came “after an unintentional release from an international third-party distributor,” says HBO.
Because Iyuno provides services not just for Netflix, but also for Disney, HBO, A+E Networks, Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, DreamWorks and eOne, many have began to worry about the vulnerabilities of digital supply chains.
Although it is estimated that nearly $220 billion is being spent on cybersecurity, a variety of factors including cloud misconfiguration, increased ransomware attacks, and vendor exploitation attacks mean data is still more at risk than ever.
In addition, leaks of popular content can benefit hackers, since inexperienced users are more likely to download illegitimate files or apps to try to access this content.
To defend against hackers and data breaches, America’s Cyber Defense Agency recommends people use strong passwords, implement multifactor authentication, keep software up to date, and be mindful of suspicious messages or emails. In addition, there are a wide variety of apps to defend against malware.
