Sunday 18 February 2018

How to Watch Porn Without Getting Hacked

Since the earliest days of the internet, sketchy porn sites and viruses have gone hand in hand. But a new report by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab shows that hackers are using a cheeky new way of spreading malware. In short, they're using porn as a trap, in the hopes that horny web-browsers will stumble into a pit of viruses with one click.

Kaspersky's investigation shows that the risks are different depending on how you're browsing for porn. Macs don't get as many viruses as PCs, but users are still vulnerable to phishing and other exploits. Android phones are susceptible to sketchy applications, and PCs are always at risk of getting malware. Users on pretty much every device are in danger, but the risks are not unavoidable. To help you browse in peace and safety, here's what to watch out for.



Hackers Are Stealing Your Porn
Funnily enough, Kaspersky notes that one of the most common hacks plaguing porn browsers is theft of online porn credentials themselves. If you're a conscientious porn browser, you should probably be paying for at least some of your porn, but there will always be a market for people who want it for free, or cheaper. Hackers will often use phishing, malware, or other ways to steal users' login info to paid porn sites like Brazzers, NaughtyAmerica, Pornhub Premium, and others, and then re-sell that info at a discount on the dark net. If you're paying for a premium account to one of those sites, be on the lookout for scams or popups that ask for your login information, and change your password frequently. Kaspersky notes that it saw more than 5,000 sales of hacked premium accounts during its research on dark net websites.

How to Recognize Phishing and Malware Scams
Phishing is one of the most common cyber attacks on the net. In a phishing attempt, a user is presented with a fake opportunity to voluntarily enter personal details, like emails, passwords, or credit card numbers. This can come in the form of a pop-up from a site or a fraudulent email that pretends to be from your bank, asking you to log in again. Malware is the classic "computer virus," a sinister program that runs on your computer, usually without your noticing, that harms you in some way. You can get it by downloading a bad application on a computer or phone.

All those flashy pop-up ads promising "SINGLES IN YOUR AREA" are risky clicks, because they could send you to a phishing site or trick you into downloading malware. Phishing schemes also like to pretend to be free services, like dating websites, that ask you to enter your credit card details onto the site to "prove your identity."

Some popups also pose as system alerts from virus software, prompting you to enter login information to "scan your computer." Sometimes, they'll even give users a fake phone number to call, where a hacker will actually answer the phone and — pretending to be someone official — get you to give up your details. Kaspersky's memo notes that hackers often disguise phishing attempts as updates to Adobe Flash player, which tricks people into downloading an "update file" that is actually a piece of malware. Malware can do anything from use your computer as a click-bot to secretly click on a bunch of online ads, or log keyboard presses to steal important info like passwords and card numbers.

How to Avoid Them
Phishing is pretty simple to avoid: don't click. If you do click, or if you get an email or a pop-up ad, don't enter any information. Just exit out. Don't call any phone numbers, and don't download any software updates.

Stopping malware on porn sites is usually an exercise in discipline as well. Don't click the side-banner ads and pop ups, and don't agree to download any software from any website you encounter during a private-time internet session. Malware on phones can also come from apps, so don't download any app that an ad on a porn site prompts you to download. For most browsers — like Google Chrome — Flash player is built-in, so you shouldn't have to worry about updating it. If you're concerned about Flash Player, go to Adobe's official site and check for an update.

Why is Porn a Target?
Kaspersky sums up why hackers are still targeting porn users: "The difference is that, in general, victims of porn malware, especially the most severe scareware types of it, are unlikely to report the crime to anyone, because they would have to admit they were looking for or watching porn." If you think you've gotten a virus from porn, or anywhere else, it's not worth it to be ashamed. It happens. But you still need to address the problem.

Kaspersky also offers three suggestions for staying safe: use only trusted websites; don't download applications from unknown sources; and don't buy hacked accounts to porn sites (the ones for sale on the dark net). Go forth, and watch porn safely.
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Article source: 
https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/online-porn-malware-viruses

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