Tech Teacher

Author/Source: Brian Krebs See the full link here

Takeaway

This article warns that some cheap Android TV streaming boxes sold online come with secret malware already installed. These hidden programs turn the boxes into part of a “botnet,” which criminals use to attack websites or send spam without the owner knowing.

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Technical Subject Understandability

Intermediate

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Analogy/Comparison

Imagine buying a new toy car that secretly has a remote control allowing someone else to drive it around your neighborhood without you knowing, maybe even bumping into other cars.

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Why It Matters

If your Android TV box is part of a botnet, it means criminals are using your internet connection and device for their illegal activities. This could slow down your home internet, and your device could be helping to launch attacks like distributed denial-of-service attacks, which flood websites with too much traffic to take them offline.

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Related Terms

Botnet, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), malware. Jargon Conversion: A botnet is a group of infected devices controlled by a hacker to do bad things online. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is when many infected devices overwhelm a website with traffic to make it crash. Malware is malicious software designed to harm or secretly control a computer or device.