Gamers Faced More Cyberattacks During Quarantine
Researchers at Kaspersky Lab have closely examined the changes in digital security brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. This time, analysts focused on information security issues related to the gaming industry. The pandemic led to a sharp increase in player activity, as evidenced by data from various sources. For example, according to gamesindustry.biz, sales of both computer and console games rose significantly in March 2020.
Another clear indicator of increased activity is the number of active players on the Steam platform. In April 2020, this number reached an unprecedented 24.5 million people, setting a new record.
Rise in Attacks on Gaming-Related Sites
According to Kaspersky experts, in April 2020, the number of daily attempts to visit infected websites exploiting gaming themes increased by 54% compared to January of the same year. There was also a rise in the number of blocked attempts to access phishing sites targeting gamers. Specifically, in April compared to February, there was a 40% increase in blocked visits to sites imitating Steam.
Most Exploited Game Titles
Attackers most frequently used the name Minecraft in their campaigns to attract users, with the game being mentioned in over 130,000 attacks. Other top exploited titles included Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Common Lures and Malware Types
Experts note that the most common lures for users were promises of free versions of popular games, updates and expansions, as well as various cheats. These links often distributed different types of malware, ranging from password-stealing programs to ransomware and cryptocurrency miners.
“Attackers don’t need to invent technically complex attacks to target gamers; users often do the work for them when they try to download pirated games or search for cheats,” says Maria Namestnikova, a cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky Lab.
“Today, many people work from home, and it’s increasingly common for users to use the same device for both accessing corporate networks and gaming. That’s why we recommend being especially careful: risky actions can jeopardize not only personal but also corporate data and finances. If possible, it’s better to separate work and gaming activities by using different devices,” reminds Yury Namestnikov, head of the Russian research center at Kaspersky Lab.