Looking for pirated content online is a common, if very dangerous practice, as mentioned by experts from a mobile hacking course. Recent figures point out that streaming is the fastest growing entertainment industry in recent years, offering tons of content to interested users, although companies that provide these services are not safe from piracy, which also exposes users who do not want to invest money to access platforms such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
A study developed by SecureList has revealed that these users are exposed to malware infections, intrusive advertising campaigns, or information theft when unlawfully trying to access a streaming platform (via unofficial APKs or unsecure websites that offer to create accounts with permanent free trials or access to pirated content). In most cases, these access sources contain malicious programs, such as banking Trojans or backdoors.
According to the mobile hacking specialists, threat actors tend to associate these variants of malware with files containing the names of the most currently popular movies, series or documentaries. This problem gets worse when users look for content created by streaming platforms, because its catalogs have a lot of original and exclusive titles, so they get the user’s attention more easily.
Among the titles most related to malware infections are:
Netflix:
- Sex Education
- Ozark
- Stranger Things
- The Witcher
- Love is Blind
- BoJack Horseman
- Orange is the New Black
- Tiger King
Amazon Prime Video:
- Catastrophe
- Fleabag
- Transparent
- Bosch
- The Expanse
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- The Man in the High Castle
Considering that Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are the world’s most popular streaming platforms, the scope of malicious campaigns to infect users searching for content insecurely extends to millions of people in dozens of countries.
Another contributing factor to the increase in this criminal practice is the launch of Disney+, the media giant’s proprietary streaming platform that is already available in some countries. Many very popular series and movies will soon only be available on Disney+, which will surely increase the risk of infection when searching for pirated content, the mobile hacking experts point out.
For further reports on vulnerabilities, exploits, malware variants and computer security risks, it is recommended to enter the website of the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS), as well as the official platforms of technology companies.
He is a well-known expert in mobile security and malware analysis. He studied Computer Science at NYU and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2003. He is actively working as an anti-malware expert. He also worked for security companies like Kaspersky Lab. His everyday job includes researching about new malware and cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in mobile security and mobile vulnerabilities.
