How Cybercriminals Use Pop Culture
Trends to Trick Your Team

Cybersecurity continues to be a growing concern for all types of businesses. Not only are cyber-attacks highly disruptive to organizations, but they often leave a variety of financial consequences in their wake.

While the risks these attacks pose to businesses aren’t new, the sophistication of their execution is constantly improving. One of the more successful tactics cybercriminals use today is using pop culture trends to trap their victims. 

Businesses should be aware of what these attacks look like and how they can prepare themselves and their employees to avoid them.

The Psychology of Pop Culture Attacks  

While not all types of criminal activity are carried out with a high level of sophistication, cybercrimes are very different. Most cybercriminals have a solid grasp of human psychology and behavior and use this knowledge to their advantage.

A large part of this process is knowing what interests individuals and identifying relevant trends they can leverage. Pop culture is a common theme in many cyber-attacks today due to its wide appeal and ability to resonate with a larger audience.

Some of the ways cybercriminals use this to exploit basic elements of human psychology include:

  • Human Curiosity – Most people are naturally curious about new online trends or topics. Cybercriminals can exploit this curiosity by creating enticing email titles or posting “breaking news” stories that encourage individuals to click on malicious external links.
  • Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) – One element of psychology that is commonly used in business is FOMO, or the “fear of missing out.” This is a powerful motivator that creates a sense of urgency to explore new content, make purchases, or enter contests in the fear that they’ll be missing something important. Cybercriminals use this form of pressure to entice individuals into completing certain actions “before” they reason on the choices they’re making.
  • Emotional Investment – Many decisions individuals make daily are guided by certain emotions – positive or negative. When considering the draw of pop culture on many individuals today, excitement about purchasing concert tickets, watching a trailer from a new TV show or movie, or getting updates on a favorite sports team, all have some type of emotional tie to them. This presents many opportunities for cyber-attackers to exploit these emotions for their own purposes.

Real-World Examples of Cyber-Attacks that Leverage Pop Culture

Successful cyber-attacks often begin with criminals playing the numbers game. This typically involves carrying out phishing scheme tactics on certain platforms where there is likely a large pool of potential victims. This has proven highly effective over the years, with many examples of pop culture trends fueling modern-day attacks.

A couple of these examples include:

Movie Ticket Scams

Highly anticipated movies are a great opportunity for cyber-attackers to exploit growing interest. One example of this was in 2023, before the release of the highly anticipated Barbie movie. Before its release, fake download scams known as “Barbie Malware” reached hundreds of thousands of people. By offering fake movie downloads and “free ticket contests,” many individuals downloaded harmful viruses to their computers and had their personal information stolen.

Streaming Service Phishing

With many people favoring streaming services over cable subscriptions, platforms like Netflix and Disney+ have been a regular target of cybercriminals. Supporting platforms like Roku are also in the crosshairs. For example, in April 2024, Roku identified a cyber-attack that impacted nearly 600,000 accounts. The reason why these types of attacks are so successful is because they exploit the brand trust users already have with these platforms. Branded logos used in phishing schemes quickly put users’ minds at ease and make them less likely to scrutinize the emails they’re receiving.   

 

Why Businesses Are at Risk

While cyber threats focused on exploiting pop culture may not seem relevant in business settings, organizations still need to recognize the dangers they present. Employees are still consumers in and outside work, and personal interests can be exploited anywhere.

Cybercriminals often understand this and create campaigns to leverage employee interests to help open up opportunities for business infiltration. This is especially the case with smaller businesses that often lack more comprehensive security infrastructure or may not have strict policies in place when it comes to cybersecurity best practices. 

How to Take Proactive Security Measures

With the sophistication behind modern-day phishing schemes and cyber-attacks continuing to increase each year, it’s important for businesses to take proactive steps to protect themselves. Below are a few helpful strategies for reducing your digital attack surface and limiting your exposure to cyber-attacks:

  1. Scrutinize all Links and Attachments – Make it a best practice to always look at email links or attachments with scrutiny. Before clicking on a link, make sure you know where it’s actually directing you to. If there are any odd characters or shortened links, it’s better to navigate to the intended site directly rather than clicking on the link itself.
  2. Look for Signs of Phishing – Phishing emails are becoming more sophisticated, often with no obvious grammar errors or awkward phrasing. AI tools have made phishing emails look more professional and harder to distinguish. Instead of relying on grammar, verify the sender’s email address and avoid clicking links or downloading attachments. If you’re unsure, contact the company directly using official contact details to confirm the email’s legitimacy before taking any action.
  3. Use a Spam Filtering Service – Minimizing the likelihood of receiving phishing emails is an important way to reduce your organization’s risk exposure. Using native or third-party email filtering solutions ensures all of your email correspondences are thoroughly vetted before they reach your inbox and automatically isolates ones that appear to be fraudulent or that need additional scrutiny before opening.
  4. Be Aware of Urgent Requests – Emails rarely require immediate attention. You should always be aware of any urgent email request, especially if it originates outside your organization. Never feel pressured to provide sensitive information or login details through your email, and always maintain a healthy level of skepticism when seeing phrases like “act now,” “immediate attention required,” or “this deal expires soon.”
  5. Take the Time to Verify Sources – When in doubt, always verify the sources of the emails you’re reading. Don’t just rely on a sender’s email address, however. If the email is important and you’re unsure about the sender, call them directly to verify they actually sent it.
  6. Invest in Cybersecurity Training – Your employees are the first line of defense against cyber-attacks. Because of this, it’s important to invest in regular cybersecurity awareness training to help them better identify potential security risks and know how to address them properly.

Don’t Let Your Business Fall Victim to Cyber Threats

While pop culture is a common theme for many modern-day cyber-attacks, it’s only one of many tactics. Working with a qualified managed service provider is one of the best ways to help your business understand the risks it’s currently facing and how to stay protected.

LDD Consulting has spent over 20 years with businesses to help them make smarter decisions about their technology investments and how to keep them secure. If you want to minimize your risk exposure and safeguard your organization against the latest security threats, contact us today for a free consultation.