Soap2Day Virus: All You Need to Know (2023)

Streaming content represents a huge chunk of our internet use. Most people have probably had an account with Netflix, Stan, Paramount or any of the numerous other streaming platforms available to the public. It’s why we all want the best NBN plans to keep up with our viewing habits.

The problem is, if you want to access all of the TV shows and movies you want, you would need to pay for multiple streaming services which can add up fast. This conundrum is the basis of our discussion on the Soap2Day virus that has been sweeping the world for the last couple of years.

A brief history of piracy

Due to the expense of signing up for multiple streaming platforms, people have naturally started looking for alternatives. This alternative often comes in the form of internet piracy which also contain Virus. Pirated content has been around for decades now, since the early days of music file-sharing platforms like Napster and Limewire. This evolved to torrent sharing through popular websites like the Pirate Bay.

Whatever your thoughts are on video piracy, these previous platforms for those wishing to indulge were quite open about their activities. If you wanted to download a movie file on The Pirate Bay, you knew exactly what you were doing – that the activity is illegal and you could be exposing yourself to viruses like Soap2Day Virus.

Today, there are new websites that look like legitimate streaming platforms, and they offer everything you could imagine for free. So, what’s the catch? Well, services like Movietube, 123 Movies, Popcorn Time and indeed Soap2Day, market themselves as free and relatively safe streaming platforms. The reality is, these websites are often littered with viruses and people are completely unaware because of the effort that’s gone into making the site look legitimate.

As a result, these websites are a haven for hackers and those with nefarious online intent.

What is Soap2Day?

Soap2Day is an online streaming platform that allows users to stream all types of movies and TV shows for free. It boasts features such as no signup, no credit cards and the ability to watch practically anything you can imagine. Users can log in directly through a web browser and simply watch content free of charge.

Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, while many users report having no problems at all. In fact, the website has upwards of 80 million visitors every month. However, there are two very crucial reasons that people are being warned to stay away from Soap2Day and similar websites.

• It is illegal
• Exposure to viruses

Let’s explore these in more detail, and in particular, the Virus, as it’s become known.

Is Soap2Day legal?

Soap2Day is definitely not legal. Over the years, it has suffered plenty of attention from groups like the US Motion Picture Association who have tried to have the service shut down. But as we’ve seen with torrent websites, when one is shut down, invariably a bunch of clones pop up with viruses and it becomes even more difficult for authorities to clamp down on them.

It’s fair to say that many people’s views on what constitutes theft or piracy online don’t really align with the actual laws. We’ve become somewhat desensitised to the fact that content can be obtained free of charge, and because there’s no physical item to take possession of, we can rationalise it more easily. But that doesn’t change the fact that illegal streaming sites like Soap2Day are definitely not legal.

What is the Soap2Day virus?

Let’s address the biggest myth of all regarding the Soap2Day virus. Many people have stated that the Soap2Day website in itself is a virus. That’s not the case exactly, nor is ‘the Soap2Day Virus’ a single infection. However, accessing the website leaves you open to all sorts of malware that are designed to steal your data or make changes to your operating system.

So, the website itself is not a virus, but it can infect your device with a Soap2Day Virus(or several of them). It can also send you to a range of mirror sites that look like the original Soap2Day platform but are in fact websites designed to infect your system. Other possible effects are the theft of your personal information, browsing history and activity, and other online data that you’d rather be kept safe.

How is the Soap2Day virus transmitted?

The Soap2Day virus can be spread through email, social media and peer-to-peer file sharing. It’s important to know that these are not the only ways that this malware can be transmitted, however. Typically, malware and viruses like Soap2Day are accessed through pop-up ads on sites. The virus actually uses a technique called ‘file-less infection’, which means you don’t need to download a file for it to infect your device.

This is known as the distribution of PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) such as adware, malware, spyware and browser hijackers. And Soap2Day seems pretty good at this.

Does using a VPN protect you from the virus?

No,  VPN can’t protect you from virus. That is, a VPN can hide your IP address and location. People use them to access content not available in their own country. For example, if a website is banned in Australia, you could connect to it using a VPN connection from overseas. It’s also good practice to give yourself some extra protection against those who want to mine your data or monitor your online activity.

So, while VPNs can protect against certain issues, it does not stop you from picking up viruses. Specifically, a VPN won’t protect you from the Soap2Day virus. If a virus or malware wants to infect your computer, a VPN can’t stop that from occurring.

Can you only be infected if you download pirated files?

It’s important to remember that you can get infected by visiting any website. Not just by downloading files. You don’t have to download pirated files in order for this virus to spread. If you open an email or click on a link in an email, it could infect your system with the Soap2Day virus. Clicking on pop-up ads or mirror sites can do it too.

The same goes for streaming content on the Soap2Day website. There’s a misconception that when you stream content, you’re not downloading anything to your computer. This is wrong. While you don’t download a specific video file and click on it, streaming requires a certain level of data to be downloaded to your device, and this is another way that the Soap2Day virus can attack.

Is the Soap2Day virus difficult to remove?

Soap2Day is a virus that can be difficult to remove, and that’s because it was designed that way. Plus, it also has some tricks up its sleeve to make the removal process more complicated. This virus can change your computer’s settings so that your antivirus program doesn’t run at all or runs very slowly. This means you might not even know you have a problem until it’s too late. In addition, the malware may hide in the background after you think that all traces of it have been removed from your system. So, while you may think you’ve gotten rid of the problem, it may still linger for some time.

Signs your computer is infected by the Soap2Day virus

• A slow boot-up. When your computer boots up, it should be swift and easy to use. Signs of a problem are the device takes longer than usual to get going, or if there are frequent hangs and freezes during startup and shutdown processes. These persistent lags can be an indication that there’s something wrong with your system.
• Reduced battery life on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets that run on batteries. This can be a sign that a virus is controlling your system and performing battery-draining activities without your knowledge.
• Your device randomly shuts down or restarts without warning.
• Unexplained system errors appear when you try to install legitimate programs.
• Random pop-ups and ads appear while browsing online. They might look legitimate, but they’re not.

If you’ve got any of these technical symptoms, you might want to read on to find out how you can clear your system of viruses like Soap2Day.

How to remove the Soap2Day virus if you’re infected

The process of removing the virus is similar to any other type of malware or virus. You don’t need any significant technical skills, but you’ll need legitimate, trusted antivirus software.

Here are the steps to remove the Soap2Day virus from your computer:

• Use a trusted antivirus program.
• Run a full system scan with your trusted antivirus software.
• Remove any infected files that are detected by the antivirus program as soon as possible.
• Run another full system scan after removing all of these files to make sure they’re gone and there’s no trace left behind.

Most reputable antivirus software includes a malware removal tool, but if yours doesn’t, this is also worth investing in. Just make sure you do your research thoroughly before installing anything online. Plenty of websites and products claim they’ve got the perfect tool for removing certain viruses, but often just searching for these can lead you to dodgy websites that cause more infections.

Wrapping up

To highlight what we’ve just discussed, the Soap2Day Virus isn’t actually a virus itself. Soap2Day is a video streaming website that opens you up to a range of viruses, malware and potentially unwanted programs that can infect your computer.

Your best protection is to stay away from illegal streaming websites altogether. If you do choose to use these services, be aware of the risks and have a plan in place to protect your system against online attacks.