A series of pirated web games and movies are back in operation
(Dan Tri) - After a period of silence, many pirated movie websites and pirated game sharing sites have reappeared under a series of new domain names.
Pirated movie website returns with new domain name
On May 9, Dan Tri published the article "Motchill, Phimmoi collapsed after a wave of raids, young people gradually left pirated websites", noting that many users were surprised when accessing familiar movie watching websites such as Motchill, Phimmoi but only received notices of closure or inaccessibility.
However, as of July 20, when searching for these keywords, users can still encounter a series of domain names with similar names.
Interface of a pirated movie website (Photo: Bao Khanh).
Records show that some websites have slow loading speeds, unstable operations or are inaccessible on some carriers. Some pages also instruct users to change DNS or use VPN to continue watching movies.
Despite constantly changing access addresses, these websites still maintain a large content repository, including movies, television series and many works recently released on copyrighted platforms.
The interface, movie catalog, and advertising layout between some domains also have many similarities, suggesting they may be backup versions or clone sites of the same system.
Surveys on closed groups on Facebook show that, just by searching for the phrase "theater movie link", users can easily come across a series of groups specializing in sharing secretly filmed movies in theaters or illegally distributed versions.
Many new movies are continuously updated, even while they are still being released. In some groups, administrators regularly compile movie viewing links in online spreadsheets, categorizing hundreds of movies by name and release date.
Path aggregates hundreds of movies categorized by name in an online spreadsheet (Screenshot).
For users to access, this group also posted videos showing how to bypass intermediary pages containing ads. Below each article, many members constantly ask for links to new movies released in theaters.
Not only pirated movie viewing websites, many non-copyrighted game sharing sites also continue to operate, despite previous tightening measures.
Instead of downloading directly, users have to get links through intermediary platforms with introductions like "The version has a built-in crack, just unzip it and play."
Each game is often divided into many different data files, forcing users to download the entire game to install it. With some game titles, the website even requires users to deposit money to activate their VIP account, from which they can get the full download link.
Blocking a domain name only deals with the "shell" part.
The situation of pirated movie and game websites quickly reappearing under new domain names raises questions about the effectiveness of current access blocking measures.
Talking to Dan Tri reporter, cybersecurity expert Ngo Minh Hieu (Hieu PC) said that it is not surprising that pirated movie and game websites quickly reappeared under new domain names.
Cyber security expert Ngo Minh Hieu (Hieu PC) (Photo: NVCC).
Technically, the process of buying a domain name, renting a server or using cloud computing infrastructure is currently relatively fast and low cost. When an address is blocked, the operations team can register a new domain name, point back to the old content system, replicate the interface and restore operations in a short time.
Meanwhile, copyright infringement on the Internet often takes place across borders. The domain name may be registered in one country, the server may be located elsewhere, and the operator may be anonymous or constantly change information, making the tracing and processing process difficult.
According to Mr. Hieu, these groups often prepare many backup domain names, change infrastructure providers or redirect users from old addresses to new addresses. Information about the new link is then spread through social networks, chat groups, forums or optimized to continue to appear on search engines.
Compared to before, this activity is increasingly "ecosystem" in nature. Websites, social network accounts, community groups, advertising systems and link sharing channels are operated simultaneously to maintain visitor numbers. So, even if a domain name is blocked, returning users can still quickly find an alternative address.
Experts say that blocking domain names mainly affects the "shell" part, which can be easily changed. Meanwhile, hosting servers, funding sources, advertising accounts, payment channels, social networks, and the back-end operations team can continue to exist.
Risk of losing accounts and personal data
Not only copyright infringement, pirated movie and game websites also pose many potential information security risks to visitors.
According to experts, these sites often depend on advertising and intermediary links to generate revenue. Users may be redirected to fake websites, betting sites, unknown applications or browser extensions that collect data.
Cracked game installation files may also be injected with malicious code, spyware or password stealing tools.
The risk increases when some websites require users to turn off anti-virus software before downloading, extracting and running files.
Expert Ngo Minh Hieu noted that not all pirated movie and game websites contain malicious code, but users should not assume that these sources are safe. Just one login to a fake site or installation of an unknown file can result in social media accounts, emails, personal data, and payment information being stolen.
In addition to technical and legal measures, experts say it is necessary to expand copyrighted content options at reasonable prices. When users can access legal movies, games and digital products more easily, the need to seek illegal distribution sources will also decrease.