Watching movies and series on the Internet , through web pages, is very common. There are many options and it allows us to play content from any device, anywhere. However, this also has its security risks, as we will see. If we make mistakes, if we do not take certain aspects into account, our computers can be infected with viruses and see how our privacy is compromised. We are going to talk about what the dangers are and what we must do to be protected.
Dangers of watching series and movies online
Keep in mind that this especially happens when we enter free pages where we can see content without having to pay anything. It does not mean that it is always il-legal, but in any case it can be a significant security problem and our data could be compromised in a matter of minutes.
Platforms like Netflix or HBO are widely used today. However, many users access independent pages, where they can also find content to watch series and movies. But on many occasions this content is not real and can represent a major problem.
malicious links
The first thing is to access fraudulent links . Surely on more than one occasion we have seen the typical messages that indicate “Click here”, “Continue to see the movie” and the like. When we click, we are actually entering a malicious link. It has been created solely to scam us.
Upon reaching this malicious site, it may automatically download a file, which could be a virus , or ask us to log in or enter certain data. Whatever the case, the goal of attackers is to steal personal information and infect systems. They use the bait of that series or movie.
On many occasions what we do is reach a kind of loop . Messages continually appear to us to click, to continue, to enter another page… But we never really get to see the content we expect. Along the way we may have downloaded a virus or collected personal data.
fake widgets
We can also come across fake video players . Basically we arrive at a page where the title of a movie or series appears and even an image of it. A button of a supposed player also appears but, when clicked, nothing of what we expect appears.
It is another strategy that they use simply to take us to a false page , sneak malware and, ultimately, compromise the security of users. This technique is widely used and what it seeks is to confuse you and make you click somewhere you shouldn’t and download some kind of malware.
In some cases we may be told that a player needs to be installed. They show us a supposed file that we must download to see the movie. It may even be a supposed update of Chrome or the browser we use. It is, once again, a bait for us to bite.
Windows with nonexistent errors
It is also common that we come across pop-up windows or pop-ups alerting us to some non-existent error. They want us to focus our attention on that mistake and forget that we are really on a false page, where we are never going to see that series or movie that we hope to find.
As we have explained before, this type of windows can lead to the download of a malicious file , the sending of personal data that ends up in the wrong hands, etc. It is yet another strategy that they can use to put our security at risk when browsing and watching series or movies.
data theft
On the other hand, the theft of personal information is another danger of viewing online content. Today our personal data has a great value on the network. It can be used to profit an attacker by selling it for Spam campaigns, on the Dark Web to carry out computer attacks, etc.
This can happen when a form appears to us to put our personal data, for example. The victim believes that this information is going to end up on a serious, legal server, but in reality it is something that is being left on a tray for a group of cybercriminals who are later going to market it.
Tips to stay safe
So, what can we do to watch series and movies safely on the Internet? We are going to give a series of essential tips that we must put into practice so as not to take any unnecessary risk. The objective is to preserve security , that our data is not compromised and, also, to view the content correctly.
Use an antivirus
The first piece of advice is to always use security programs . This will prevent malware from entering and scan our system for any malicious software that may be present. It is one of the main security barriers that we must raise to be able to watch series and movies online without problems.
There are many options. One example is Windows Defender itself, which is built into Microsoft systems. We can also use other alternatives such as Avast. But beyond an antivirus, there are other tools such as a firewall or even browser add-ons that also enhance security.
Have the system updated
This is very important. Many of the cyber attacks that we can suffer on the network are caused by security flaws. There may be vulnerabilities in the browser, in the operating system itself or in any program that we use on a daily basis. This can be exploited by a hacker.
Therefore, always having the latest versions is essential. Especially you have to update any software that connects to the Internet, such as the browser. This will avoid problems, as well as improve performance and make everything work more fluidly and quickly.
Always use official programs
Yet another tip is to always use programs that are legitimate . It is true that sometimes we can find alternatives that can offer some advantages, some added features. But that can weigh down on security, as it could have been created or modified by an attacker just to steal the data.
Always using official applications to watch series or movies online will help maintain security and privacy at all times. For example, use the Netflix program instead of another alternative that we can find on any web page on the Internet.
keep common sense
But perhaps most important of all is to maintain common sense and avoid making mistakes . We saw that many attacks come from clicking on a malicious link, entering personal data or clicking on pop-up windows that appear when trying to watch a movie or series on the Internet.
If we avoid making these types of mistakes, we will have a lot of gains in order to maintain security. This will help protect personal data and avoid falling into traps of this type that can be exploited by hackers to launch their cyber attacks.
In short, watching series and movies on the Internet can be a security problem. It is essential to take into account the advice we have given to always keep devices protected and prevent our personal information from leaking into the network and ending up in the wrong hands.
