The release of anticipated summer blockbusters like Barbie and Oppenheimer has led to cyberattacks targeting users trying to watch the films illegally, new research suggests.
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Users are being redirected from links found on Twitter to websites containing scams, malware, and other malicious programs, according to leading cybersecurity company NordVPN.
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According to the company, those seeking to illegally watch the film Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 are the most vulnerable. During its investigation, it discovered 13 phishing warnings, 19 malicious links, six instances of malware, and one suspicious link in the top ten most popular links on Twitter.
The Super Mario Bros. movie came in second place in terms of security concerns, with three phishing attempts, 15 malicious links, and five malware warnings.
The Barbie movie, the third-highest-growing of 2023, is in third place, with 16 malicious links and three suspicious warnings.
The single link on Twitter claiming to offer the Oppenheimer film hit for free had 11 warnings, including five malicious links, three malware links.
Malware is malicious software that seeks to cause damage or threaten a device or data, and ranges from relatively harmless to downright dangerous.
The potential risks of malware include tracking people's data, stealing sensitive information , or even deleting it without the user's consent.
The most common types of malware include viruses, spyware, worms, trojans, adware, ransomware and fileless malware.
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Adrianus Warmenhoven, cybersecurity consultant at NordVPN, said: “Movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer have generated huge box office numbers in recent weeks, and it’s no surprise that moviegoers are desperate to watch summer blockbusters at home.
Information source: thisismoney.co.uk
