Research released by BeStreamWise.com, an anti-piracy initiative whose backers include Crimestoppers, The Premier League, BBC, ITV and Sky, revealed that one in five (18%) consumers accessing illegal sources of TV, movies or live sports programming reported a malware infection in the past 12 months.
Previous research by BeStreamWise also showed that two in five (41%) illegal streamers have had their bank account details compromised while accessing content illegally, losing on average £1,680.
Employers will also be concerned to learn that seven in 10 (68%) people who access content illegally have done so on a work-issued smartphone, while almost six in ten (58%) have streamed illegally on a work laptop, potentially putting sensitive company data at risk.
Anti-piracy in a retail setting
To educate consumers about these findings, BeStreamWise launched a pop-up “device amnesty” kiosk in Soho, London, where concerned consumers can better understand the dangers of piracy and have their devices checked for malicious software.
Located on D’Arblay Street (W1F 8EJ) ‘The Con-venience Store’, fronted for the day by UK comedian Babatunde Aleshe, also gave concerned consumers the opportunity to hear from James Bores, an independent cyber security expert on how to monitor their devices for suspicious activity.
“Illegal streaming sites and apps sit outside the security checks that legitimate platforms go through. This means the risk of running into malware, or being scammed into handing over information or money, is much higher,” said Mr. Bores.
Why it matters
Mr. Bores continued: “The fact that one in five illegal streamers have had a malware infection in the past year shows that these aren’t rare. With so few people running antivirus software and clear knowledge gaps, infections go unnoticed. Once malware is on a device, it’s no longer yours: it’s under the control of the criminals behind it. That means everything you use the device for – every password you enter, every message you send and all your private information – is potentially visible to them.”
Further reading
New research reveals growing cyber threat facing illegal streamers.
