Think Before You Download: Malicious Code Found Hidden in Movie Subtitles

What does your early evening routine look like when you get home from work? Might it include downloading a movie for free online? Be warned: An innocent download could have "malicious code inserted into subtitle files downloaded from movie subtitle databases [that] could be used to hijack your device, researchers warn," according to CNET.

It has been learned that websites like Couch Potato, Duckie Tv and Popcorn Time have infected movie downloads. Discovered by Check Point Software Technologies, Check Point researchers discovered that hackers have infected movie subtitles "by crafting malicious subtitle files, which are then downloaded by a victim's media player. [A]ttackers can [then] take complete control over any type of device via vulnerabilities found in many popular streaming platforms."

How This Can Affect Your Business
Do you use your work computer for unrelated activities? Do you allow your staff to take work laptop homes and use them as they will? If this is the case, you could be exposing your SMB to digital incursion. A cyber policy can help protect your SMB's finances after a cyberattack, but only you can help your company prevent a cyberattack from happening at all.

More and more organizations are allowing their staff to use their own devices for work-related purposes and (as mentioned above) give their employees the option to use work equipment at home, such as laptops, tablets and other digital devices. While this saves your business time and money, you don't know what type of websites your employees are using and how they discern between what is and is not appropriate to download.

Drive-by downloads are notoriously easy to be hit by, as the user has no idea they have downloaded the malicious virus. The malicious code is hidden in television shows, movies and apps. When it's hidden in seemingly innocent webpages, your employees (or even you!) won't readily know that your network has been infected.

43 percent of all cyberattacks target small businesses like yours. Small business networks are easy to infiltrate because more often than not, they do not have the cyber protection large corporations do. And remember: even large corporations with tight cybersecurity can fall victim to a cyberattack, just look at Snapchat, Target and Home Depot.

Check Point writes that the number of people affected by the movie subtitle hack is in the hundreds of millions. Check Point researchers go further to explain that "by conducting attacks through subtitles, hackers can take complete control over any device running them." This too is true of other drive-by downloads, phishing scams keyloggers and Trojan Horse malware.

Once a hacker is able to gain control of your devices and lock down your data, it could be game over for your business. The hacker can extort your business for money with the data they have been able to access and they can cause serious harm to your customers. And guess what? You alone will be held liable - not the cyber crook.

A cyber policy insurance plan will protect your business and reimburse you and your customers for losses. Get your insurance package today with CyberPolicy.

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