There’s nothing better than streaming something from a device of your preference. Whether it’s a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop, you can live stream movies, TV shows, and even sports from anywhere in the world.
It’s a game-changing concept and as a result of this new channel that you can use for entertainment, more traditional methods such as cable TV have been in decline.
Streaming is great, but it does pose a threat to your devices and your personal information, especially if you’re using free streaming platforms rather than premium ones.
There are plenty of ways that you can live stream anything for free, but you need to make sure that your device is protected at all times, otherwise, you will be at risk!
The best way to ensure that your devices are secure is by using a cybersecurity tool known as a virtual private network, or VPN for short. You also need to make sure that you’re using the best VPNs for streaming or else you’ll have a terrible streaming experience.
Keep reading to find out what risks you face when using free streaming sites, and how you can ensure that you don’t fall victim to a devastating cyberattack.
How to Find Free Live Streaming Sites
There are tons of different free streaming websites available on the internet. If you’re looking for sports you can try 123 Sport or US TV GO. When it comes to streaming movies and TV shows, you can head over to 123 Movies. However, there are some risks to using any of these websites.
Oftentimes the proper domains for these websites will disappear and you may find copies of the website online. These copycat sites are known as mirrors, and they are used when the main website has been shut down — which happens more often than you might expect!
If you visit the site and you find that it does not exist anymore, all you need to do is search for the website in Google to find its new domain or mirror site. It’s frustrating, but it’s the best way to watch movies and TV shows for free.
The Dangers You Face on Free Live-Streaming Sites
The catch with free sports live streaming sites is that the websites often don’t host live streams. This means that you can’t be sure of the true source of the live stream that you’re tuning in to. There is a chance that you could be watching a live stream that is hosted by an illegal or unlicensed source.
Even worse, cybercriminals could be hosting the live stream to lure in unsuspecting victims before launching their cyberattacks. Whether that means installing malware on your device, stealing your login credentials, or simply monitoring your internet activity.
As for movies and TV shows, free streaming sites on the internet are illegal in many countries around the world. There is the risk of being given a hefty fine for visiting one of these websites too often.
However, there is a more serious risk that you’re taking when visiting mirror sites of free streaming websites. While the copycat website might look the same as the original, they are often set up and controlled by a third party that was never involved with the original website.
Copycat websites come and go, so with there being many different versions of the same website, there is no accountability anymore. Anyone can set up a mirror site of a popular streaming platform, which allows them to take advantage of anyone who visits the site.
It’s easy for cybercriminals to inject their site with malicious code to track your data, fill it with annoying pop-up ads, place phishing scams across the site, or even use the site to install malware onto your device.
How to Stay Safe When Streaming
Before you visit a free streaming site such as 123 Movies, first look up the laws and regulations of your country to see whether it is legal to use one of these websites in your region. If it is illegal, make sure to use a legal premium streaming service instead.
The sad reality is that some free streaming sites and mirror sites are completely safe to use, while others could potentially cause serious damage.
There is no way of telling which of the mirror sites are safe, unfortunately, and that’s because hackers have developed techniques to hide their cyber attacks from everyone else.
By using their cunning strategies and techniques, they can fool anyone on the internet, even those who are clued up about cybersecurity and the dangers of the online world.
The only way to protect yourself when streaming anything (whether it’s movies, TV shows, or sports) for free, is by using a premium VPN.
Premium VPNs will encrypt your internet connection, preventing anyone else from seeing what you’re doing on your device while browsing the internet. VPNs are so powerful that your internet activity won’t even be monitored by the government or your internet service provider.
On top of that, no one can keep track of your internet history either! VPNs can also hide your real location by changing your IP address to one in a different city or country. This will give you additional privacy and security.
You also need to make sure that you’re using premium antivirus software. As mentioned earlier, malware is a serious risk that your device could face when visiting free streaming sites. Malware is extremely dangerous and you want to make sure that your device can always fight against it.
Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses and any other type of harmful software that does not belong on your device.
If any dangerous software has been discovered on your device, the antivirus software can take action to remove it before it does any further damage.
Premium antivirus software comes with additional features, such as the ability to spot phishing emails and potentially dangerous links. This could further promote your device’s safety and security on the internet, so make sure to always use premium antivirus software.
