TV owners have been urged to make four crucial checks as 1.6million boxes could be at risk of being hacked.
Households could even suffer from huge hikes in their energy bills because of this sneaky scam.
Cyber criminals can use your television to sneak into your Wi-Fi network and onto other electronic devices in the home to steal precious data.
Sneaky hackers could even use people’s electricity to mine cryptocurrencies.
A new virus, called Vo1d, could put 1.6million Android TV users at risk of cyber criminals, according to PCWorld.
This new variant is particularly dangerous because it has better encryption so it could be harder to detect.
One way hackers can use this malware is through click fraud.
This is when fraudsters use other devices to generate fake clicks to inflate adverts.
This can allow criminals to make ads more expensive or mislead performance numbers.
These clicks can also make bills go up, as they can lead to more energy consumption, according to Integralads.
There are four important checks TV owners can do to make sure they are not affected by this malicious malware.
Firstly, people should keep their device updated.
This will make sure watchers have the most recent firmware and software installed.
Secondly, TV owners should uninstall unused zombie apps, even on iOS and Android.
This can present a security risk because people might not have updated the privacy settings on them.
Thirdly, consumers should always install anti-malware software.
This can help scan apps to make sure they cannot be hacked by criminals.
Finally, people have been warned to not buy from third parties.
Consumers should always purchase gadgets from reputable sellers.
Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at cybersecurity firm ESET, told The Sun why TVs can be at risk.
He said: “Like any smart device in the home, smart TVs are vulnerable to malware and the threat increases if users upload third party apps to them or they refrain from regular updates.”
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