Groundbreaking new research was released today revealing that illicit streaming devices (ISDs) in Taiwan are not only enabling rampant piracy, but also potentially pose significant cybersecurity threats to consumers and national infrastructure. The study was released at an enforcement workshop hosted in Taipei by the Taiwan Society of Convergence and the Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).
The research, conducted by Professor Paul A. Watters of Cyberstronomy Pty Ltd, found that many ISDs are vulnerable to malware infections and can be remotely hijacked, putting users at risk of identity theft, ransomware, and espionage. Even more alarmingly, these devices could be exploited to form large-scale botnets capable of disrupting Taiwan’s critical infrastructure through coordinated cyberattacks.
Key findings from the study include:
49% of apps commonly associated with ISDs which were tested contained malware, with some triggering up to 20 detections on industry-leading security platforms.ISDs were found to have an average of 7.75 security vulnerabilities, leaving users exposed to exploits such as command-and-control takeovers and phishing attacks.One malware-laden app was found to use “superuser” privileges, granting attackers full access to a user’s device and connected network.Malicious infrastructure supporting ISD apps is hosted via obscure and abuse-prone domains, such as 6868c.cc and 1357c.cc, often shielded by private registrations.
“Every ISD in Taiwan represents a potential node in a nationwide cyberattack,” said Matt Cheetham, General Manager of CAP. “If left unregulated, these devices could be weaponised to compromise homes, businesses, and government networks.” Cheetham noted that the study recommended a three-pronged approach to address the threat: tighten regulations on the sale and distribution of ISDs; expand enforcement and monitoring of malicious ISD infrastructure, and; implement DNS/site blocking to prevent access to known malware-distributing domains.
About the Asia Video Industry Association
The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.
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Charmaine Kwan, Head of Marketing and Communications | charmaine@avia.org
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