If you're still using an old Android TV device purchased from Amazon, it may be time to upgrade to the best streaming device available. in May, we reported on a wave of malware infecting cheap Android TVs, and it appears that a second botnet has been discovered on some of the same devices A second botnet appears to have been discovered on some of the same devices.

The Android TV devices in question were manufactured by two China-based companies, AllWinner and RockChip, and have earned hundreds of "5-star reviews" on Amazon. These devices are used to launch "powerful DDoS attacks" and to secretly download clickbots that click on ads in the background to commit ad fraud on the device's manufacturer.

According to Dr. WEB, a Russian IT security solutions vendor, malware on devices is installed via firmware updates from the manufacturer or as a side effect of downloading third-party streaming apps that promise free content

It can be obtained in two ways: installed as a side effect of downloading third-party streaming apps that promise free content.

It is important to distinguish between Sony and Google devices (such as Chromecast with Google TV) and devices like these cheap Android TV boxes. The former use the official version of Google TV or Android TV, while the latter use the Android Open Source Project platform that anyone can download and modify.

One way the Trojan virus moves from machine to machine is via illegal streaming software commonly used to pirate movies and TV shows. These apps promise easy access to the latest movies as soon as they become available digitally, but they are often dangerous from both a legal and security standpoint.

If you are using a third-party device to pirate content, you will want to replace it with something more secure - something that is not pirated.

However, if you are using an Android TV or Google TV device from a trusted manufacturer and strictly on-the-level streaming from apps like Netflix or YouTube, you need not worry. While these apps may use or sell your data, they are not using your device for extra computing power to carry out extensive acts of cyber terrorism.

Want an Android TV device that can play the latest games, stream movies at the highest resolution, and act as a PLEX movie server? Check out the Nvidia Shield TV or Nvidia Shield TV Pro.