Kaspersky Finds More Than 251 Thousand Polluted Cyber Attacks As Popular Anime

JAKARTA - In a new report in the Q2 2024 Q1 2025 period, Kaspersky discovered more than 250,000 cyberattacks disguised as popular anime.

For this analysis, Kaspersky experts selected five popular anime titles among Gen Z: Naruto, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Ju Total Kaisen.

As a result, the global cybersecurity company managed to find 251,931 attempts to send malware or malicious files disguised by the names of the anime titles.

Cybercriminals often attract audiences with passes like "exclusive episodes", "Leaked scene", or "premium access".

Among the titles of anime, Naruto occupies the top position. During the reported period, this anime was used as bait for 114,216 attempted attacks. Demon Slayer followed with 44,200 attempted attacks.

"Along with the continued development of the entertainment world, the tactics used by cybercriminals to exploit popular content continue to grow, both through fake downloads and offering counterfeit merchandise," said Vasily Kolesnikov, security expert at Kaspersky in a written statement.

In addition, Kaspersky also analyzes platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV Plus, and HBO Max, a place to watch movies, series, and anime.

Kaspersky detected as many as 96,288 attempted attacks to distribute malicious files disguised as the name of the main streaming platform above.

While checking which streaming services cybercriminals use the most, Netflix stands out with 85,679 attempted attacks with more than 2.8 million phishing pages emulating the brand.

They mimic login pages, share free trial' links, or fake password reset email with full knowledge of how important Netflix is in Gen Z's digital routine, "added Vasily.