Visitors using the popular AVG anti-virus software, a brand which offers both free and paid options, today on Reedpop’s sites may have received a virus alert.
I have been able to recreate this myself by popping over to Dicebreaker, the company’s RPG and board game site, one I recommend, and getting the alert.
The anti-virus software aborts a connection, calling the threat a “URL: Scam” from a ReedPop branded sub-domain on Piwik.pro. Piwik.pro is a web analytics platform alternative to Google Analytics and Adobe. It also offers tag management, a customer data platform and a consent manager which records visitors’ GDPR decisions.
Geek Native cannot offer cyber security advice, but it is possible that AVG’s systems, erring on the side of caution, are incorrectly labelling the analytics software as suspicious.
In November 2023, Dicebreaker themselves reported that ReedPop may sell them, along with Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, VG247 and GamesIndustry.biz. ReedPop’s primary business is in running events in the US.
A new analytics platform, we guess, on some ReedPop sites might be due to a third party or ReedPop themselves looking for valid traffic figures ahead of a sale.
Plenty of conjecture here, but the advice is never to click on unusual or unexpected links. In addition to AVG, there are anti-virus options such as Avast and BitDefender and Microsoft provides Defender.
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