Hacking sites, apps put privacy and personal information at risk

MANY of us want to watch premium content – ​​that global blockbuster movie, the NBA Finals, a popular K-Drama series. But there are still those who prefer to access them for free through streaming sites and pirate apps instead of paying subscriptions on legitimate sites, unaware of the risks they pose.

Piracy, or the illegal reproduction or distribution of copyrighted material, harms the entertainment industry, depriving content creators of revenue. This reality is often overlooked by people who do not realize that frequenting illicit sites and applications can also affect them badly.

Malicious ads and pop-ups from hacker sites and streaming apps are used by cyber criminals to infect devices with malware. This can lead to loss of privacy and personal data or identity theft, and even cripple devices and hold data hostage.

A December 2021 study commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) via YouGov titled “Time to Compromise” shows how a test personal computer was compromised within 42 seconds of visiting a hacking website. A test Android device was compromised in 1:18 seconds when installing a popular hacker-related app.

The report states that once a search term is entered, the user is immediately targeted by the infection. For example, clicking on a movie title can trigger a download of a file with the title name plus an “.apk” extension that contains malware that can read and write to external storage, access WiFi and calendar .

When users click “Play” to stream, they may also encounter a notification permission request that may contain malicious links or use a CAPTCHA to confirm they are human. Clicking on the CAPTCHA downloads and installs malware.

Additionally, the repeated ads and popups are designed to confuse and encourage users to install harmful software to their machines, such as the Chrome extension called “Adblock 360”, which actually functions as adware.

Some “high risk” ads on hacking sites also direct users to adult and gambling sites. These pose significant risks to society, especially children who may encounter them unknowingly.

“We found that a typical user visiting these sites would be infected with ransomware, a number of Trojans and other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)… Malware writers can in turn gain access to PCs and consumer mobile devices, and all stored data, but also access to banking login information and other sensitive connections,” the report states.

Another study by AVIA and YouGov titled “Consumer Risk and Digital Piracy – Where Does Malware Come From?” showed that 24% of respondents had accessed pirated content. They also have friends, family, household members and office mates who have done the same.

The May 2021 study by Professor Paul Watters also revealed that the majority, 41%, are also aware of the relationship between malware and hacking and even consider hacking sites to be the second source of malware, after adult sites.

As a partner of AVIA and a strong advocate in the fight against piracy, Globe continued the #PlayItRIght campaign to educate the public about the dangers of accessing pirated content online, such as exposure to malware and inappropriate content.

The campaign also respects copyright, helping to protect the art and livelihoods of content creators.

“Globe strongly supports filmmakers and creators of entertainment content. We must respect their hard work and help sustain their jobs and the lives that depend on them by fighting the piracy of online content. Pirated content often also contains software malicious, which is why we encourage everyone to download only from legitimate sources,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications.

Globe is coordinating closely with the government and content providers to develop an appropriate site blocking mechanism that will strengthen the fight against hackers in the absence of criminalizing law. It also invests in hack detection technologies for more effective monitoring and removal of illegal sites.

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular UN SDG 8, to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and work. decent for all. It is committed to respecting the principles of the United Nations Global Compact and to contributing to the 10 United Nations SDGs. (PR)