Hackers have gained worldwide notoriety despite the fact that hardly anyone knows who these people are. It is also said that crime does not pay but that would seem to be sorely mistaken. A recent study shows that pirates who install malware into unsuspecting systems make something like $70 million per year, BGR reported.

The study is called "Digital Bait" and it was commissioned by the Digital Citizens Alliance (DCA) and conducted by RiskIQ. It is one of three sites that is sampling 800 sites that are dedicated to distributing media like movies which contain malware.

Their report said that 45% of malware makes its way to users' devices by "drive-by-download" which basically means users have zero knowledge of the malware installation taking place. "It's clear that the criminals who exploit stolen content have diversified to make more money by baiting consumers to view videos and songs and then stealing their IDs and financial information," executive director of DCA Tom Galvin said in a released statement.

The malware is able to trawl for bank and credit card account information, locate private information, and even lock a computer to be able to demand ransom (this type of malware is called ransomware for obvious reasons). Most troubling is the fact that compromised computers can and are used for illegal activities like fraud and the original owner ends up getting framed for the act.

There are a couple of ways to make sure this malware never even makes it near your system. The first piece of advice is to simply avoid these websites. One incredibly interesting fact from the study is that content theft sites are 28 times more likely to contain malware than any other legitimate site.

"By dangling such content as bait, criminals lure in unsuspecting users and infect their computers." The study adds, "In doing so, these criminals are exploiting a lack of understanding and awareness among users about the risks visiting shady websites can pose."

You can read the study as a whole through this link.