Polish consumers visiting pirate sites are almost 40 times more exposed to cyber threats than when using legal sources of information, according to “Consumer Risk from Piracy in Poland”, the first study to describe in detail the scale of cyber threats related to the use of pirate sites in Poland. The Polish Cyberspace Defense Forces say that Poland has the most cyber attacks of any country in the world.
The study examines the risks to consumers in Poland associated with visiting pirate sites, including illegal streaming and P2P sites. The study shows that consumers in Poland are more exposed to cyber threats from pirate sites compared to a control group of mainstream sites. Also, according to the Cyberspace Defense Forces, Poland is the country with the most cyberattacks in the world.
Consumer risks associated with digital piracy, especially in relation to cybersecurity, include threats such as malware and viruses, identity theft, data breaches, legal consequences, piracy infringement, and financial losses. Pirate services often contain hidden malware or viruses, posing a risk to users who may unknowingly infect their devices. This in turn often leads to risks such as: personal data theft and identity theft, theft of access data to bank accounts, financial fraud, software corruption, loss of user data, or takeover of the management of the user’s IT system.
The results of this study indicate a very high risk of encountering cyber threats when using pirated services in Poland. In the worst case, if a consumer visits the 30 most popular P2P pirate sites, they will be exposed to 77 cyber threats. The study examines possible ways to address this problem in order to increase the security of Polish consumers online.
Consumers are up to 38.50 times more likely to encounter a cyber threat when using P2P sites in Poland compared to mainstream websites in the control group.
A 2023 Deloitte report quoted in the study says that in Poland, 7.3 million consumers visit piracy sites, and that no legal alternative in Poland comes close to having this number of subscribers.
Further reading
Consumer Risk from Piracy in Poland. Study and report. By Paul A. Watters PhD, Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity at La Trobe University (Melbourne), Honorary Professor of Security Studies and Criminology, Macquarie University (Sydney). Released by Sygnal, an anti-piracy advocacy organization in Poland.
Cyberattacks on Polish Pirate Sites. Press release. February 3, 2025. Sygnal
Why it matters
In recent years, according to the report, increased digitalization and the adoption of technology in various aspects of everyday life make consumers more dependent on digital services, potentially creating more opportunities for cybercriminals.
Consumer risks linked to digital piracy that are cited in the report encompass cyber threats like malware and viruses, identity theft, data breaches, legal consequences, piracy compromise, and financial losses. Pirated content frequently harbors concealed malware or viruses, posing a threat to users who may inadvertently infect their devices, leading to personal information theft, file damage, ransomware, sextortion, or system hijacking
Digital piracy has far-reaching social consequences, eroding intellectual property rights, affecting employment, reducing the quality and diversity of content, and having legal consequences. On the economic front, it results in lost revenue for creators, reduced investment in innovation, negative impacts on the industry, increased cybersecurity costs, and impacts on international trade relations.
