He is an article quoted in its entirety from a news flash from one of my security vendors, PCTools.
MALWARE TO TARGET HARRY POTTER FANS
Can’t wait to see "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"? Thinking about downloading a pirated copy? Think again, as it could contain malware.
Cybercriminals are pushing "black hat" search engine optimization tactics to target the most popular file sharing and P2P networks, pursuing those interested in upcoming movie releases and in particular taking advantage of the sizeable Harry Potter fan base wanting to download the movie in advance of its screening.
Fans are baited with text like: ‘Watch "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" online free’. What appears to be a legitimate looking website then redirects you to a video offer which prompts you to download and install the additional "streamviewer". The streamviewer, however, is installing malware. Suddenly, missing out on a sneak peek is the least of your worries!
This is the problem with file sharing sites and software. Since the source files are not “legal” they can be anything. Be careful out there.
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JUN
About the Author:
I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com