Ready for the end of 'Game of Thrones'? Beware of malware

Ready for the end of 'Game of Thrones'? Beware of malware

Not using legal sources to see the success of HBO can expose you to online risks.

  It is less than two weeks before the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones (GOT) , and apparently fans are not the only ones excited about their arrival, as cybercriminals are on the lookout for any significant trend in searches for try to infect with malware those who download the HBO series clandestinely.

   As revealed by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, Game of Thrones heads the list of television series used during 2018 by criminals to cover up malware . Last year, it accounted for 17 percent of all pirated infected content, leaving in its wake some 20,934 users attacked. In second place is the popular series of zombies 'The Walking Dead', with about 18,794 people affected, and the Arrow superhero program, with 12,163.


Despite the fact that in 2018 there were no new episodes, GOT maintained its first place in corresponding threats while the other programs included in the list had promotional campaigns that sought to increase their audiences.



The cybersecurity firm analyzed the ease with which the series downloaded from pirated websites and portals can be replaced by versions with viruses.

In the cases studied, the attackers chose to infect the first and the last episode of each season of the respective series. For example, the premiere episode 'Winter is coming' of the first season of Game of Thrones was one of the most used for this type of attack.

"We can clearly see that malware distributorsthey exploit television programs that are in high demand on pirated websites: these are usually dramas or action series actively promoted. Scam artists tend to take advantage of people's loyalty and impatience, offering completely new material to download but which is actually a cyberthreach, "said Anton Ivanov, a researcher at Kaspersky Lab in a statement.

How to avoid it?
In most cases, programs are usually downloaded through illegal channels such as Torrents trackers and pirated streaming platforms . These resources send the user a file that looks like an episode, but in reality it is a malicious system named with a similar name.

To avoid being this attack, the firm recommends following the following steps:

Use exclusively the services of a legitimate content distributor.
Pay attention to the extension of the downloaded file: Even if you are downloading episodes from a source that you consider reliable and legitimate, the file must have an .avi, .mkv or mp4 extension or any other, but definitely not the .exe.
Check the authenticity of the websites. Do not visit websites that allow you to watch TV shows until you are sure they are legitimate and start with "https". Check that the website is genuine by double-checking the format of the URL or the spelling of the company's name before starting the downloads.
Do not click on suspicious links, such as those that promise to preview a new episode; check the broadcast schedule of the television program and keep abreast of it.