As the number of people playing computer games – gamers – has skyrocketed, hackers are increasingly trying to target them in their online attacks, according to new research from Kaspersky.
See also: Why did Microsoft give $30,000 to a 20-year-old self-taught hacker?
In March 2020, the number of active users playing games on Steam reached an all-time high. However, that record was broken again in March when the PC gaming platform reached 27 million users.
As with other online trends, hackers are closely monitoring this increased interest in gaming as they look for ways to exploit this trend for personal gain. Web antivirus detections for websites that included the names of popular games and platforms increased significantly last year, with Kaspersky researchers noticing a 54% increase in the daily number of blocked redirects between April 2020 compared to June 2020.
See also: WordPress plugin bugs: Hackers can register as site admins
Even after pandemic lockdowns eased (this spring), the number of gaming-themed cyberattacks continued to rise before reaching an all-time high of 2.5 million in November of last year. While there was a slight drop earlier this year, the number of such attacks rose again to 1.1 million in April 2021, representing a 34% increase compared to March.
Game-themed attractions
As was the case with Kaspersky’s research last year, the most popular game used as bait by cybercriminals continues to be Minecraft. However, this year Counter Strike: Global Offensive has beaten Minecraft to become the most popular game used as bait.
The most common threats faced by visiting malicious links that exploit the names of popular games and platforms are trojans and malware disguised as freeware, updates, extensions, and even cheat programs. Accidentally downloading these malicious files can allow cybercriminals to do everything from deleting and blocking data to disrupting the performance of a gaming laptop or desktop.
The head of Kaspersky's global research and analysis team in Russia, Maria Namestnikova, explained in a press release why hackers and cybercriminals have increasingly started targeting gamers and gaming companies, as was the case with the recent EA data breach, saying:
“There are an unprecedented number of gamers in the world today – nearly 3 billion. This means that cyber attackers will continue to be interested in the industry, and as more and more people play games on their corporate devices, this puts company resources at risk. However, gamers can still enjoy gaming. They just need to follow cybersecurity best practices .”
See also: Central Bank of Denmark: Russian hackers had access to its network for months
Kaspersky recommends that gamers use a password manager to create strong passwords, protect their accounts with two-factor authentication, do not download pirated games, use antivirus software on their gaming installations, only purchase games from official stores, do not click on links to external websites in chats, and remain on the lookout for phishing campaigns to stay safe from these and other attacks while gaming.
Information source: techradar.com
