Online operators are targeting Kansas citizens by infecting visitors to so-called pirate websites. A study titled "Digital Bait" from the Digital Citizens Alliance showed that visiting content theft sites – websites devoted to illegally distributing movies, music, books or other copyrighted content – was a major source for infecting computers with dangerous malware that can lead to identity theft and other serious financial and privacy harms. The study showed that one in every three content theft sites exposed visitors to malware exploitable by criminals, and that almost half of the malware was "drive-by," meaning the malware was delivered without the user even having to click on a link.
There are many reasons to stay away from content theft sites, and to encourage others in your household to avoid them as well. Protecting yourself from a significant threat of being exposed to malware is an important one.
Information provided by the Digital Citizens Alliance.