Over the weekend, an unsealed indictment revealed the identity of a man that has pleaded guilty to hacking Nintendo's company servers. The man, identified as Ryan S. Hernandez, went by "RyanRocks" online. Alongside an unidentified associate, Hernandez used a phishing scam to steal employee log-in info, using it to "download thousands of files, including proprietary developer tools and non-public information" about upcoming products and announcements. An FBI raid on Hernandez last June turned up thousands of proprietary files, as well as more than 1000 sexually explicit images and videos of minors. Hernandez has agreed to pay $258,000 in damages, and could face up to three years in prison.

According to prosecutors, the 21-year-old California native leaked the illegally obtained information through Discord, Twitter, and "Ryan's Underground Hangout," a chat room. Hernandez's online discussions about Nintendo's vulnerabilities might have also inspired others to hack the company, as well. This is not the first time Hernandez has been accused of hacking the company; an FBI investigation in 2017 revealed Hernandez's hacking of Nintendo, but since he was still a minor at the time, his parents were notified, and he was let off with a warning.

Nintendo has always been known as a notoriously tight-lipped company. As such, major releases from the company often result in a heavy amount of speculation and rumors online. This leads to a huge demand for information as it develops, and Hernandez's hacking likely helped endear him to fans desperate for leaks. Leakers have proven to be a thorn in Nintendo's side throughout the Switch era. Late last year, The Pokemon Company began pursuing legal action against a trio of leakers that revealed information about Pokemon Sword and Shield from an illegally obtained copy of the game's strategy guide. Like Hernandez, those leakers also disseminated the information through Discord and social media.

Of course, in the internet era, it's becoming more and more difficult for companies to surprise fans, thanks to leaks and hacks such as these. For many gamers, a huge part of the appeal of industry events such as E3, or Nintendo Direct presentations, is the surprises showcased. When hacks and leaks occur, it doesn't take long for them to spread online, ruining the potential surprises for everyone. While Hernandez clearly didn't learn his lesson the first time around, it seems a bit more likely that might change this time around.

Hernandez will be sentenced April 21st.

Posted: Feb 05, 2020 6:10 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/2020/02/03/fbi-nabs-nintendo-hacker/