More Than 7 Million Streaming Platform Accounts Broken, Netflix Becomes The Main Target

Illustration (photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The survey conducted by Amdocs, stated that Gen Z not only spent more money on streaming platforms, but also actively participated in online fandom, clip sharing, memes, and fan theory on social media.

However, this high-involvement online behavior is accompanied by hidden risks. Devices that Gen Z uses to stream their favorite shows can be an entry point for cybercriminals through malware infection.

For Generation Z, streaming is more than just entertainment. However, that emotional relationship also creates blind spots. Malware hidden in unofficial downloads or third-party tools secretly steals login credentials and personal data," said Polina Tretyak, digital footprint analyst at Kaspersky in a statement.

The Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence team managed to identify 7,035,236 cases of CPIDENTial breaches of Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Max accounts that have been compromised throughout 2024.

These credentials were not stolen directly from the platform itself, but were collected from a broader credential theft campaign.

Netflix is the streaming service most burglarized by irresponsible parties with 5,632,694 accounts compromised detected.

In addition, Kaspersky experts also detected 680,850 Disney+ accounts in leaked data sets, and 1,607 Amazon Prime Video accounts that were also burglarized.

After the device is infected, cybercriminals don't just stop on streaming apps. Malware collects sensitive data on account credentials, cookies, banking details which are then sold or leaked in underground forums. Sometimes, attackers provide this data just to build their reputation.

"Protecting current streaming accounts means thinking more than just a password, this means securing your device, avoiding suspicious downloads, and paying attention to where one click can take you," he concluded.