MAITLAND, Fla. – Video game company EA Sports is investigating a recent intrusion into its network resulting in the theft of some gaming code and other related tools.
Electronic Arts, based in Maitland, is the company behind well-known games such as The Sims, Madden NFL and NBA LIVE.
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EA Director of Corporate Communications Lacey Haines confirmed Thursday a limited amount of code was stolen during a breach and it’s being investigated.
“We are investigating a recent incident of intrusion into our network where a limited amount of game source code and related tools were stolen. No player data was accessed, and we have no reason to believe there is any risk to player privacy,” the company statement read. “Following the incident, we’ve already made security improvements and do not expect an impact on our games or our business. We are actively working with law enforcement officials and other experts as part of this ongoing criminal investigation.”
News outlet Motherboard by Vice reports hackers have claimed in underground forums to have obtained the source code for EA Sports soccer game FIFA 21.
EA officials do not expect the hack to impact its games or its business and said it was not a ransomware attack, unlike the recent hack involving the Colonial Pipeline or the attack against the world’s largest meat processing company, JBS.
Ransomware scrambles the target organization’s data with encryption. The criminals leave instructions on infected computers for negotiating ransom payments. Once paid, they provide decryption keys for unlocking those files.
The Associated Press reports last year alone in the U.S., ransomware gangs hit more than 100 federal, state and municipal agencies, upwards of 500 health care centers, 1,680 educational institutions and untold thousands of businesses, according to the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.