Illegal or unregulated streaming sites are notorious for spreading malware. A study cited by Cybersecurity Insiders found that visiting pirated movie sites increases your chances of encountering cyber threats by compared to legitimate websites. Scammers often disguise these platforms as free movie websites, only to redirect users to malicious links designed to infect their devices with malware. The UAE Cyber Security Council has warned that around 70% of users are unaware that free streaming sites can serve as malware gateways , and nearly one million computers were compromised via such platforms.