5 Cybersecurity Threats You May Experience While Streaming in Australia
Streaming is supposed to be fun. But all the fun can be sucked out of the activity when there are geo-restrictions in place. All the big and popular streaming services are either completely geo-restricted in certain regions or they have partially blocked off their content libraries.
But surfing the web in this manner comes with its inherent risks. And with the internet, you never know who’s on it to try and hack you or cause you trouble.
VPNs keep you safer than usual. But still, nobody can be completely invulnerable on the internet, which is why you should be aware of the five most common cybersecurity threats that you might face when streaming. Here they are:
5 Biggest Cybersecurity Threats You Might Face
1. Phishing Attack
Phishing attacks are one of the oldest tricks in the hacker book but they are, nonetheless, reliable and still happen at an alarming frequency even today. The theory behind a phishing attack is simple. The hacker sends you anonymous links, either through email or other means, to get you to click on them. You can also read about cyber financial crime.
These links lead to genuine-looking websites that are fake and allow the hacker to perform their activities, such as stealing credit card information or login information. During the pandemic, over 700 such websites were reported imitating streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and more.
● How To Prevent?
Only click on such links from trusted and verified sources or ignore them.
2. Credential Stuffing Attack
Though uncommon in general, this attack is all too common for streamers to face. It works as it sounds. Hackers use a database of stolen credentials and use automated bots or scripts to continuously use credential after credential until one works and they can force their way in.
This attack is why using the same password for multiple accounts on different platforms is highly unrecommended, as one password can potentially work for multiple accounts. This is made worse by streaming services offering the feature of sharing one’s account with multiple people.
● How To Prevent?
Don’t share your passwords with anyone and avoid using the same password for all your accounts.
3. Brute Force Attack
This type of attack is most commonly found on login pages and uses trial and error to gain access to one’s account. Automated bots or scripts run until an appropriate combination of login ID and password is found to unlock the account.
Although, most websites usually prevent this by locking access to the site after a certain amount of unsuccessful tries. But some sites don’t and hackers have turned to more advanced alternatives, which is why we should be more careful.
● How To Prevent?
Again, the solution is simple. Just use different passwords for all your accounts and apps and ensure that your password is strong. Weak passwords or common passwords are vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
4. Account Takeover Attack
Account takeover attacks have again become quite common in today’s cyber ecosphere. The idea behind the account takeover attack is simple. Once they have access to one account, they use the same credentials on other streaming platforms. This attack is reliant on people using the same credentials for all other streaming platforms.
So, if you are using a certain email/username and password on Netflix, this attack relies on the fact that you will use that same email/username and password on Hulu, HBO Max and others.
● How To Prevent?
Use strong passwords and do not use the same passwords for every platform. Also, avoid using unsecured password managers.
5. Man-In-The-Middle (MitM) Attack
MitM attacks, also known as eavesdropping attacks, are placed to exploit connections from the middle rather than the endpoints of a connection, which is what makes them so dangerous. They can pick up valuable information and it is harder to protect against them, as endpoint security is easier to configure.
MitM attacks are a major concern for organizations, as they are the ones most commonly targeted. It also majorly hurts the public image of a company, as it shows that the organization has not taken the necessary steps required to protect user and company data.
● How To Prevent?
Multi-factor Authentication and organization-wide security measures are the best way to protect yourself against this kind of attack. You can also use VPNs, as they encrypt the traffic rather than the endpoints of a connection.
Conclusion
Streaming is supposed to be relaxing, coming home after a long day at work and pulling up your favorite movie or TV show. But every streamer has to be careful with what they do, to ensure that their passwords and accounts remain safe.
Follow the above prevention methods to ensure that your account stays safe too. It is better to take a few steps and endure some hassle rather than being hacked and losing precious data or even getting your bank account wiped.
5 Cybersecurity Threats You May Experience While Streaming in Australia
