New research carried out by OpenText Security Solutions on behalf of FACT in the UK has revealed some disturbing threats lurking on illegal streaming sites as pirate site operators turn to questionable means to generate an income.

The research shows that there are no illegal streaming sites which can be accessed without risk:

• 50 of the most popular “free-to-view” illegal streaming sites were analysed and every site had links to malicious or misleading content of some kind.
• 90% of illegal website were classified as risky
• 40% of free-to-view sites analysed had no security certificates
  Almost every illegal streaming site featured explicit content.

What were some of the key threats?

• Malware designed to access a person’s bank account without permission
• Crypto scams that lure people in with fake get-rich-quick stories and can infiltrate any crypto apps on smartphones
• Explicit content which is hosted on the sites and not suitable for children

Read the full report here. 

This article was first published on ContentCafe