If you stream video online, you are putting yourself at risk of being hacked !
Hacking is on the rise, especially with illegal IPTV. But a former pirate warns that these platforms are full of malicious links and other backdoors that put you in danger.
More and more internet users are turning to illegal IPTV (Internet Protocol television), which allows you to stream content, such as TV channels, online. This particular trend is most notable with streaming live sporting events, as this type of content is increasingly put behind a pay wall. You either need to subscribe to particular service, such as Eurosport, SkySpots or NBC to name a few, or pay per view, which is the case for most boxing matches. This has lead for more people to look for other, less legal, alternatives.
This type of illegal IPTV can be quite dangerous for you. A former internet pirate, Jenny Radcliffe, explained in a LADbible article, that illegal sites are full of dangers. Jenny is no longer an internet pirate and instead works to help warn internet users about the dangers of these online platforms. Apparently, simply visiting an illegal IPTV site exposes users to the risk of hackers stealing their sensitive data.
Jenny reports that "the sites are full of malicious links, backdoors, and traps to access visitors' banking and personal data, giving hackers access to anyone" that choses to watch illegal IPTV. Typically, these sites still require you to pay a small fee to access their catalogue of illegal streams. This is typically a lot less than you would pay if you signed up for all of the streaming platforms individually, which is why they can seem appealing. The main risks that visitors to illegal IPTV expose themselves to:
- Theft of credit card numbers
- Installation of malware on the device
- Access to bank accounts
- Theft of sensitive information (messages, contacts, images, histories, etc.)
If you do fall foul of one of these hackers, there is a real difficulty in recovering any stolen money. Those affected cannot defend themselves as they were on illegal sites. If you have ever fallen victim to online fraud you will know how difficult it can be to recover funds, now add the added complication of the illegal site. It would almost be impossible to recover your money on an illegal site.
Some countries are even going after users of these sites in an attempt to further deter anyone else who wants to access this type of illegal content. For example, in France, it has been found that users of illegal IPTV sites are more likely to be high-income individuals. The French authorities are extensively fighting against illegal streaming, and have even been praised by several major Hollywood studios for their efforts.