"Malware on Pirated Content Sites a Major WFH Risk for Enterprises"

According to a joint investigation conducted by the Digital Citizens Alliance and White Bullet, most pirate sites generate a significant portion of their revenue by serving malware-infused advertisements on users' systems. Many advertisers use fear tactics, such as a malware infection or messages informing users that they need to update their antivirus or other software, to trick them into clicking on a malicious advertisement. The advertisements often serve as pop-ups or pop-unders behind a browser window. Users who click on the advertisements risk downloading ransomware, spyware that tracks their activities, and malware that steals banking credentials or bookmarks their compromised system for a future attack. On the surface, the threat appears to be primarily aimed at consumers, but in an era when many employees work from home, often using unmanaged devices and poorly secured networks, what happens on a consumer device can easily spread into enterprise environments. On average, 12 percent of the advertisements on websites that serve pirated entertainment are malicious advertisements that generate at least $121 million in revenue for the site operator each year. Malicious advertisements served to US-based visitors to these sites generate more than half of those revenues, or approximately $68 million. According to the research, the top websites that offer pirated and stolen content earn $1.08 billion in annual advertisement revenue. This article continues to discuss pirate sites serving malware-infused advertisements to generate revenue.  

Dark Reading reports "Malware on Pirated Content Sites a Major WFH Risk for Enterprises"