The number of cyber threats and attacks related to video games has increased significantly in recent months, research has found.
New figures from Kaspersky suggest that gamers should be on the lookout for a wide range of potential threats, from phishing scams to malware downloads disguised as updates or additional features.
But far from embracing the newest and most advanced game titles and platforms, it seems that criminals and scammers often choose something a little less high-tech to attack their victims, with Minecraft being the most popular lure for security threats.
Minecraft Security Threats
Kaspersky said that when examining threats between July 2021 and July 2022, Minecraft was used for about a quarter (25%) of detected malicious files, recording 23 incidents, followed by FIFA (239%), Roblox ( 11%), Far Cry (9,5%) and Call of Duty (9,4%).
Minecraft also tops the list of mobile malware threats, with the game being used as a lure in 40% of detected incidents, ahead of GTA (15%), PUBG (10%), Roblox (10%) and FIFA (5 %). .
However, Kaspersky noted that the total number of Minecraft-related malicious and unwanted files actually decreased by 36% compared to the previous year, and the number of affected users also decreased by almost 30% year-on-year (131 vs. 005). 184). .
Overall, Kaspersky said it recorded 384.224 incidents of users encountering game-related malware and unwanted software during the monitored period, with 91.984 distributed files related to XNUMX popular games or game series in particular.
The company issued a particular warning about cheating programs that claim to offer new ways for gamers to succeed, but actually contain only malicious and unwanted software, noting that it had seen 3.154 unique files affecting 13.689 users.
"Over the years, the gaming industry has grown more and more and we expect to see new ways of abusing users in the coming year, such as exploiting the theme of esports, which is now gaining popularity around the world. "said the firm. . "That's why it's so important to stay protected, so you don't lose your money, credentials or gaming account, which you've accumulated over the years."