For many computer gamers, Christmas 2013 was the highlight of the year when they unwrapped their eagerly awaited new PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, joining some four million others who purchased these units in the USA alone in just three weeks of release.
I am not a computer gamer myself (there are not enough hours in the day already), but I know many who are, and I guess there will be some readers who either spend some time gaming or have purchased these new advanced gaming units for family members.
There is little doubt that computer gaming is becoming an increasing part of many people’s lives and with more advanced systems becoming available this will further increase in the future.
Although a Christmas gift for users, it is unfortunately a gift at Christmas for cyber-criminals, as it provides them with a new wealth of opportunities to infiltrate the gamers’ worlds, steal money, information and even whole identities.
Just days after the launch of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One in November, Kaspersky Lab (a leading computer security software producer) has discovered that PC gamers around the globe were hit by a massive number of attacks in 2013.
Currently, Kaspersky Lab has identified 4.6 million pieces of gaming-focused malware (malicious software), with the total number of attacks facing gamers hitting 11.7 million globally.
On average, users were hit by 34,000 attacks related to gaming malware daily. Russian gamers were the worst hit most of all in 2013, as hackers made 8,813,050 attempts against them. Portugal was not listed in the top 10 in the survey.
Gamers face all kinds of different digital attempts on their systems. Underground forums are ridden with cyber crooks selling access to people’s gaming accounts, such as the portal and marketplace Steam. The market for usernames and passwords is fuelled by attacks on the gaming companies themselves. Earlier this year, Kaspersky Lab detected a major espionage campaign on a range of massive multiplayer online games makers, with source code and other valuable data stolen.
Malware types target specific games, such as the hugely popular Minecraft. Earlier this year, a fake Minecraft tool built with Java promised to give the player powers such as banning other users, but was stealing usernames and passwords in the background. When Grand Theft Auto V landed earlier this year, various sites offered fake downloads to access the record-smashing game for free. But when users tried to get the game, all they got was malware – a classic example of powerful names getting abused to lure victims into downloading malicious code.
Then there are the typical scams, like phishing. Slews of e-mails are sent around every time a big gaming launch happens, and at Christmas attempting to lure users into handing over data or money with the promise of discounts or cheap gaming goods. “Gaming has an ever increasing fanbase, which also means that the number of potential victims for cyber criminals is rising as well.
A few days ago Christian Funk, Senior Virus Analyst, Global Research & Analysis Team from Kaspersky Lab, stated that “Gaming has an ever increasing fan base, which also means that the number of potential victims for cyber criminals is rising as well. The cyber criminals are taking a lot of effort into their attacks and we can see the upsurge in sophistication. Especially in times like Christmas, when a lot of new games are being released, gamers need to be attentive to stay secure.”
A senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, David Emm, added that “As computer games continue to become an increasingly prominent and important part of our lives, and our culture, expect malicious actors to up the sophistication and the volume of their attacks on gamers. If people want to enjoy their new toys this Christmas, they have to be careful, as it’s clear they are facing a greater threat than ever.”
Kaspersky have therefore offered the following top five tips for gaming security:
1. Don’t click through on any offers that look too good to be true, whether from your inbox or on social networks like Facebook or Twitter. If an offer does come through that looks legitimate, ensure the sender is trusted before hitting a link or handing over any details. If in doubt, contact the official company the sender claims to be from.
2. Use strong and varied passwords across your gaming accounts. As we’ve seen this year, gaming companies get hacked and logins are leaked. If you don’t have different credentials, getting one set stolen means all your different accounts using that same password could be compromised. Consider investing in a password manager, as it will give you simple, smart protection.
3. Get a good quality anti-virus. With the rafts of gaming malware out there, and the increasing sophistication of the malicious software, you’ll need some level of protection against it. You’ll need AV that goes beyond signature-based detection to look at file reputation, if you want to stop the smartest malware getting on your system.
4. Be careful whom you befriend. It’s easy to make friends in virtual worlds today, but not all are doing so innocently. Beware anyone who asks for your personal details, as they may want to do more than just contact you.
5. Only download titles from legitimate sellers. If you’re downloading an illegal copy of a game, you aren’t just breaking the law. You’re risking getting malware on your machine, as crooks often disguise game files as malicious software.
The recently held Cybercrime Seminar organised by Associação Safe Communities Algarve, which was attended by around 80 persons, presented a largely theoretical introduction and overview of cybercrime. It is planned in future to hold more practical sessions with specific advice to computer users as well as make practical advice available on its website.
|| Cyber attacks related to gamers
January to December 2013
Attacks against gamers globally – 11.7 million
Attacks relating to gaming malware per day – 34,000
Attacks per country – top 10
1. Russia 8,813,050
2. Vietnam 503,947
3. China 376,058
4. India 207,245
5. Spain 139,078
6. Poland 127,583
7. Turkey 121,164
8. Taiwan 97,843
9. Thailand 92,914
10. Italy 75,155
Source: Kaspersky Lab
May I take this opportunity to wish readers a very Happy and Safe New Year.
By David Thomas
|| [email protected]
David Thomas is a former Assistant Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police, consultant to INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In October 2011 he founded Safe Communities Algarve an on-line platform here in the Algarve to help the authorities and the community prevent crime. It is now registered as Associação Safe Communities Algarve, the first association of its type in Portugal. 913 045 093
www.facebook.com/scalgarve
www.safecommunitiesalgarve.com
