Anyone streaming free movies urged to avoid blockbuster with 'worst' virus risk
02.08.2023 - 12:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
People who are hoping to watch some of the biggest films of the summer illegally online without forking out for a cinema ticket could be putting their security at risk.
The past few months have been huge for blockbuster releases, with fan favourites like Barbie, Oppenheimer and Super Mario Bros getting people excited to go to the cinema.
But those who try to stream them for free online should reconsider doing this, as a new study has found just how dangerous these illegal streaming sites can be.
Cybersecurity experts at NordVPN carried out some research into certain Twitter links for free movies that ended up leading to sites with phishing, malware and other malicious software.
Searches for Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 were the riskiest of recent big releases with 13 phishing warnings, 19 malicious links, six malware concerns and one suspicious link in the ten most popular links on Twitter.
Family favourite The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the second most dangerous, with three phishing, 15 malicious links and five malware warnings. And pink box office smash hit Barbie was in third place with 16 malicious links and three suspicious alerts.
Another one of the most risky films to stream illegally was Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. The only Twitter link claiming to show the biographical drama had 11 warnings in total, including five malicious links, three phishing concerns and three malware links.
Killers of the Flower Moon by legendary director Martin Scorsese, which has not yet been released, also had six alerts in one link.
Malware is malicious online software that is designed to cause damage to a person's device or data. It can range from being fairly harmless to incredibly dangerous as it can track data, steal sensitive