Video games now dominate the entertainment industry. Ever since the advent of the game-changing Sony PlayStation 2 twenty years ago and its unparalleled processing power, the entertainment industry has never been the same. Unlike movies, TV, music, and books, video games are inherently a digital medium. However, that brings its own unique set of problems.

When it comes to online gaming, players are often required to entrust their personal information with game developers and publishers. This opens them up to several cybersecurity risks.

Here are some of the top cybersecurity threats online gamers need to be wary of.

Theft of Virtual Valuables

The veritable precursor to cryptocurrency was in-game economies. In-game economies utilize virtual money that’s earned in the game itself. That, of course, means it can’t be used in the real world. However, it’s a commodity that holds real value to players. One can, in fact, fetch very high real-world prices for video game accounts with large amounts of in-game currency or access to rare in-game items and valuables. On one of the longest-running online games, RuneScape, a moderator named Mod Jed, stole 45 billion in-game coins with a real-world value of $100,000 from players.

Many video games are published, authenticated, and sold online on platforms like Origin, Steam, and GOG Galaxy. Players use a single account to manage these games. There have been cases of hackers stealing supplementary and add-on items as well as entire accounts from these online platforms.

Phishing

Players of popular video games are often made targets of phishing campaigns. Phishing tactics aren’t limited to sending fraudulent emails anymore. One commonly used tactic is to set up a fraudulent login page or to pose as a friend and attempt to send malicious links via online chat forums and platforms.

Malware

Malware spreading in gaming often overlaps with phishing techniques. Just as one can use online chat features to spread fake login pages, they can be also be used to send links to drive-by malware downloads. In popular competitive games, players often find themselves downloading malicious applications that promise cheats and tips to gain an edge over other players.

In-Game Security Flaws

A flaw in the authentication process of the popular online game Fortnite was detected in 2018. The game’s official login URL wasn’t validated. This left it vulnerable to a redirect attack. Then it was found that an unused and vulnerable subdomain for the game’s developer and publisher Epic Games. An attacker could use this compromised subdomain to request users’ login credentials.

As one of Australia’s top cybersecurity services provider, we help game developers and publishers mitigate cybersecurity risks and protect online game integrity with minimal effect on game performance. Our services include advanced web security testing, penetration testing, and mobile app security testing.

Get in touch with us for more information on our services.