porn
You’d have more luck finding a needle in a haystack than someone who’s never visited an adult website. But even if you were to find such a person, they’d probably easily guess what the content is like: lots of X-rated videos and photos, lots of banner ads, and lots messages that scream, “Find love in your neighborhood – NOW!“
How can you navigate this wild frenzy without jeopardizing your own security and privacy? How do you avoid malware infection and keep your cash in your wallet? You’ll find the answers to these questions and more in today’s piece.
You get viruses from visiting porn sites, don’t you?
The answer is yes and no; let us explain. You’re rather unlikely to get infected with malware from browsing a large and popular website. Not so with generic copycat porn sites. Let’s take PornHub — one of the world’s most visited porn sites. PornHub is operated by Aylo, a porn industry mammoth that also owns Brazzers, Xtube, YouPorn, and many other similar sites (click here for the full list). In other words, PornHub has stood the test of time and is no less secure than, say, YouTube, or any other large video-hosting platform. According to PornHub itself, the site is free from all types of threats like spyware, Trojans, or stealers. All ads are legal, and undergo rigorous vetting, so you’re probably safe clicking, but there’s no guarantee.
But for each Aylo website, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of shady single-page ones. More often than not, the only reason they exist is to trick victims into sharing their personal data, which is then used for blackmail, or to simply shake them down.
How porn fans get scammed
Here’s a typical example. Scammers set up a fake website featuring webcam models. Camming is a popular adult-oriented business whereby the model broadcasts online while viewers send in requests and money. The screenshot below shows a phishing page, designed to look like a camming site, asking the visitor to buy tokens to chat online with their favorite model.
Want to chat with the camgirl? Buy some tokens! Good thing you can pay any way you want.
Buying tokens indeed unlocks a chat — but there’s a catch: everyone else there is a bot, and all messages are automated. Plus, the model won’t react to the chat at all — because there’s no live stream, just a looped recording.
There’s also another way to make visitors part with their money. If you’ve ever landed on a porn site — intentionally or not — you must have seen screaming ads such as, “THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE IS WAITING FOR YOU JUST 500 METERS AWAY!” What happens if you click that button? We’ve tried it, so you don’t have to. The first thing the website asks you to do is enter your address, so the system can “find the people nearest to you”.
Scammers can generate a map of any city and place what appear to be other users’ avatars on it at random.
They claim you need to pay for a premium subscription to access the girls’ contact details. If you spend five minutes on the website, you get a message from the “admin” that says: “Hey there! We’ve got a discount for all new users! Make sure to try it to enjoy unlimited access”. The minimum payment is only $0.99, but the small amount is just bait.
In the end, the scammers can steal much more from the victim’s card because they already have their banking details — and location! Needless to say, instead of real conversations, all the victim gets is another chat bot and more AI-generated content.
Here’s a checklist to help you spot dodgy porn sites yourself:
- The site promises lots of adult content — but only after you pay.
- You won’t find any actual videos or photos, just trailers and previews, and clicking on anything redirects you to a payment page.
- The site looks sloppy, and consists of just one page with enticing offers and a “Buy full access” button.
- The text on the website has typos and looks like something AI would generate.
If you find yourself on a website like that, take a deep breath, get a grip, and close the browser tab.
Fake porn apps are yet another threat type. They might add some variety to your free time, but believe us — it’s better to pass on this kind of fun for your own safety. Remember that fake apps can even slip into official stores, so you have to be especially careful even on Google Play and — since recently — the App Store.
A particular threat comes from hacked versions of legitimate adult apps, which can harbor various types of malware. It’s easy to find a “free version” of the PornHub app online that supposedly has premium access unlocked. It might seem like you’ve hit the jackpot for new thrills for no dollars, but let’s weigh the pros and cons. Pro: a few extra porn videos; cons: strict privacy as regards your sexual tastes; your bank details, photos, and maybe even those special private videos starring you. The choice seems pretty clear.
Various PornHub mods as seen in search results
How to watch porn safely
As you might have guessed by now, even an activity as sensitive as watching porn has its unwritten rules, which anyone with any self-respect and a concern for their own security must follow. We’ve written in detail about protecting your privacy when watching porn; today’s advice is about watching it safely.
- Don’t use search engines to look for porn. Scammers can rig the search results to make sure phishing sites appear at the top — right alongside PornHub and other big names in the industry. If verifying links isn’t your thing, you can install Kaspersky Premium — it’s ready to handle that for you every time.
- Don’t click every link and banner you see. It’s true that PornHub and other popular porn sites claim all of their advertising links are safe. Still, experience tells us that even ads on verified sites can be compromised by bad actors.
- Don’t download porn — it’s not 2009. Porn available on torrent sites can be loaded with miners and stealers. Generic single-page sites can even serve pure, unadulterated malware, without any adult content.
- Don’t pay when you’re promised “access to everything in the world”. Believe us, this could be your most expensive decision made.
- Never enter personal information unless you clearly understand why the website needs it. If an adult website asks for your phone number, email address, passport information, and bank details, you should close it as soon as you can.
Here’s some truly safe “adult content” for those concerned about their privacy:
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