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If you're looking to stream the films features in the latest Academy Awards ceremony for free, you'll need to triple-check your methods. A new investigation from the Cybernews research team has found a nasty malware campaign called Efimera that's specifically going after film fans searching for copyrighted material. This is often marketed as a free way to watch content, but it is illegal.
Fraudsters are hoping you'll search for something like a movie title plus release date, and "torrent download" into your web browser. These bad actors then trick you into thinking you need a "special player" to watch the film, which ends up being the Efimera malware in disguise.
This particular threat only affects Windows users, so if you're on a Mac or Linux machine, you're safe for now. Although it's worth noting that you're always at risk for malware when looking for a workaround to avoid the fees from an official streaming service like Netflix or HBO Max — which is launching in the UK this month.
If you're using a Windows device, you're being targeted by the new scam dubbed Efimera
| UNSPLASHIf you accidentally download this dodgy software onto your computer, it will quietly watch everything you copy and paste in an effort to go after your cryptocurrency.
For example, if you're about to send some Bitcoin to a friend, you'll copy their wallet address. However, Efimera secretly swaps it out for the attacker's address instead. You hit send, thinking everything's normal, and your crypto goes straight to the criminals.
Given that the Oscars are right around the corner, the vigilant researchers found that every single Best Picture nominee has been hijacked by this campaign. Marty Supreme topped the list with 16 malicious search results, while Bugonia came in second with 15, and Sinners had 12.
From this specific search, roughly 12% Google results turn out to be malicious, too.
This type of malware is often seen when fraudsters are attempting to steal your personal login credentials and other sensitive information. Most recently, Android users were put on high alert for malware hiding in their TV streaming apps. Millions of WhatsApp users were also informed of hackers sending around a malware-laced file.
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The best way to prevent malware, identity fraud, or password theft is to prevent users from clicking on the dodgy link. Anti-virus and other security software can be a useful tool in the arsenal, but it's more hassle to scrub this malicious software or recover your personal data after the fact.
With the help of one of the best VPNs, you can protect and anonymise everything you do online. VPNs can conceal your online activities by routing traffic through an encrypted tunnel that connects to secure servers worldwide.
It can also prevent malware primarily by acting as a security filter to block access to known malicious sites, ads, and trackers. This will greatly reduce the risk of malware getting installed onto your device.
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What is a VPN?
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are applications that protect everything you do online by encrypting your web traffic — making it anonymous and untraceable to anyone outside of the secure connection between you and the website or service you're using.
It's like the difference between sending someone a heartfelt message on the back of a postcard (without a VPN) or a letter in a padlocked package (with a VPN).
That's because VPNs create an encryption tunnel where all of the communication between your gadget and the internet is funnelled. This is why it's so important not to rely on a VPN with speed or bandwidth restrictions, since you'll soon see a hit to your performance.
The best VPNs rely on the same military-grade encryption as governments in Britain and the USA, so even the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provides your home Wi-Fi won't be able to record a list of the sites you're visiting, how long you spend on each site, and your devices