Hackers are shaking down HBO for Bitcoin — should the network pay up?

To pay or not to pay? For HBO and other companies targeted by cyber criminals, that is increasingly becoming the question. 

The network behind Game of Thrones is the latest victim of a massive digital breach, with hackers claiming to have stolen 1.5 terabytes of data that includes unreleased show episodes, scripts, and internal company documents. 

Now, the perpetrators behind the cyber heist are demanding a solid chunk of Bitcoin as ransom, threatening to dump the pilfered info online unless HBO pays up. 

So should HBO pay the ransom? And what happens if it does?