Tag Archive for: study

Study: Bridgerton ‘most dangerous’ series to pirate

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According to a study by data destruction and information security experts Secureteam, Bridgerton is the most dangerous series to stream illegally, as fans eagerly await its return. The study curated a list of 2023 and 2024’s most popular series and returning shows and ran torrenting and streaming URLs through a malware detection program.

Some 70 per cent of torrenting and streaming URLs for Bridgerton were flagged as sites with a critical security risk. These sites contained malware and had been blacklisted by security programs like McAfee, or both. Malware-ridden streaming sites included 1337x.

The top five most dangerous 2023 series and immanently returning shows to torrent and illegally stream are: 

Name of Series Percentage of Medium Security Risk and Above Percentage of Critical Security Risk 
Bridgerton 80 70
The Walking Dead: Dead City 75 35
The Mandalorian 70 30
Only Murders in the Building 45 20
The Last of Us 65 15

Methodology 

To determine the most dangerous shows to torrent and stream illegally, Secureteam started by curating a list of popular shows that were released in 2023 and popular series returning later in the year or in 2024. They then put these search terms into Google, alongside the keywords “torrent”, “stream” or “watch for free”. Example: “Torrent Bridgerton”, “Stream Bridgerton”, “Watch Bridgerton for free”. The top 21 URLs were then entered into Sucuri, a website malware and security checker.

Why are these sites so dangerous? 

“Illegal streaming sites that distribute copyrighted content, such as TV series and movies, with authorisation are ethically problematic and also pose significant risks to users. They typically contain hidden malware that, if accidentally accessed, can have serious consequences for users and their devices. When users visit these sites and engage with their content, they unknowingly expose themselves to potential security risks. Malware on these sites may be present in the form of Trojans, viruses, worms, adware and spyware. Downloaded malicious software may compromise sensitive personal information, including login credentials, private messages and…

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Czech Republic courts young African leaders with maiden ‘Cool Czechia’ study trip

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Between 1948 and 1989, Czechoslovakia – as it was then known – was under communist rule. For decades, there was an absence of opposition while restrictions were in place to prevent Czechs and Slovaks from travelling to non-communist countries.

But in November 1989, a hunger for change and an end to the status quo spread across the country like wildfire. Although sparked by peaceful demonstrations organised by students, renowned dissidents such as the iconic Vaclav Havel would eventually inspire the movement to grow into a clamour for political restructuring and an end to communist leadership.

By November 28 of that year, the agitation yielded fruit as the federal assembly removed the provision in the constitution which regarded the Communist Party as the controlling authority in the country. The movement would later be coined the Velvet Revolution, acclaimed as a remarkable non-violent transition of power.

Given its experience with oppression and subjugation, it is perhaps no surprise that Czechia opened its doors to the Ukrainians following the Russian invasion of the country in February 2022. Since the outbreak of the war, the country has admitted more than half a million refugees from Ukraine, with over 100,000 fully employed across different parts of Czech.

The 18-month-old war and its ripple effects have seen many Western nations realigning and restrategising their partnerships across the world.

The African allure

As Africa improves its economic and geopolitical outlook, many foreign nations are looking to boost their alliances and gain the continent’s support in multilateral fora. The Czech Republic is not left out.

Through a multi-faceted strategy, Czech is looking to expand its partnership with Africa while creating a long-lasting positive impact on the continent.

And what better demographic to forge a relationship with than young Africans on track to become important voices in their respective countries?

Enters ‘Cool Czechia: Young African Leaders Study Trip’ – an initiative conceptualised by the ministry of foreign affairs of the Czech Republic.

From July 26 to August 3, several young African leaders were invited to history-rich Prague –…

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Nearly half of all internet traffic is now bots, study reveals

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The proportion of human traffic on the internet has fallen significantly in recent years, according to the latest research from cyber security firm Imperva (Getty Images/ iStock)

The proportion of human traffic on the internet has fallen significantly in recent years, according to the latest research from cyber security firm Imperva (Getty Images/ iStock)

Nearly half of all internet traffic came from bots last year, according to new research.

Figures from cyber security firm Imperva revealed a significant increase in automated and malicious web activity in 2022, with the proportion of human traffic falling to its lowest level in eight years.

The company noted that so-called “bad bots” were at their highest level since it started tracking the trend in 2013.

Bot activity is expected to increase even further this year, the researchers claimed, due to the arrival of generative AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

“Bots have evolved rapidly since 2013, but with the advent of generative artificial intelligence, the technology will evolve at an even greater, more concerning pace over the next 10 years,” said Karl Triebes, a senior vice president at Imperva.

“Cyber criminals will increase their focus on attacking API endpoints and application business logic with sophisticated automation. As a result, the business disruption and financial impact associated with bad bots will become even more significant in the coming years.”

Bad bot activity can include anything from spam that clogs up email inboxes, to advanced systems that carry out brute force attacks to hack into people’s emails or online accounts.

Some bots even mimic human behaviour in order to avoid being detected by security software.

Another worrying trend noted in the report was the rise of bots used in warfare, with a 145 per cent spike in automated attacks targeting Ukrainian web applications in early 2022.

These were likely designed to disrupt the country’s critical infrastructure, ranging from energy and telecom, to transport and financial sectors.

“Every organisation, regardless of size or industry, should be concerned about the rising volume of bad bots across the internet,” said Triebes.

“Year-over-year, the proportion of bot traffic is growing and the disruptions caused by malicious automation results in tangible business risks – from brand reputation issues to…

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the hacker’s roadmap (how to get started in IT in 2023)

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