Cybersecurity attacks "disguised" as... anime

Cybercriminals are increasingly stepping up their scams, capitalizing on Gen Z's love of anime – from Naruto to Attack on Titan and other popular entertainment.

Cybercrime hits Gen Z hard

According to the latest report from Kaspersky, from Q2-2024 to Q1-2025, more than 250,000 cyber attacks were detected in the form of popular anime episodes, along with many entertainment platforms familiar to young people.

During the research, Kaspersky security experts focused on analyzing the top five anime titles loved by Gen Z: Naruto, One Piece, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and Jujutsu Kaisen. From there, Kaspersky detected and recorded 251,931 attacks, as cybercriminals spread malware/unwanted software by disguising them as popular anime titles.

Taking advantage of Gen Z’s love for anime, cybercriminals often launch attractive “bait” such as “special episodes”, “leaked footage” or “free VIP access” to trick users and spread malware. Among the anime titles selected for analysis, Naruto ranked first with 114,216 attacks, despite the series airing more than two decades ago. Demon Slayer ranked second with 44,200 attacks.

Number of attacks through unwanted or malicious files disguised as Gen Z's favorite anime

Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video , Disney+, Apple TV Plus, and HBO Max are shaping how Gen Z consumes movies, series, and anime. When analyzing which streaming services were most frequently targeted by hackers, Netflix stood out with an alarming number of attacks: 85,679, along with more than 2.8 million phishing websites impersonating the platform.

Cybercriminals are taking advantage of Netflix’s massive traffic, global reach, and subscription-based model by creating login pages, sending “free trial” links, or password reset emails, all of which are carefully designed to prey on Gen Z users’ online habits and behaviors.

“ The world of entertainment is constantly changing, and so are the tactics of cybercriminals. With the rise of cyber threats targeting young people, raising awareness, vigilance and understanding how to protect yourself in the digital world is more urgent than ever,” said Vasily Kolesnikov, security expert at Kaspersky.

KIM THANH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tan-cong-an-ninh-mang-nup-bong-anime-post796491.html