What was once considered to only be a niche hobby has transformed into a global industry worth billions.
With so much to offer, online gaming provides a recreational escape for many where players can engage in virtual battles role-play, and complete cooperative missions.
The appeal is huge and tournaments have grown to have huge payout pots and the average gamer can earn an income streaming.
As such, platforms have evolved alongside them, and now they are becoming a prime target for cybercrime.
Online gaming security has had to tighten its belts and evolve as the threats on the gaming scene have grown.
Today we’ll discuss the evolution and how platforms are rallying to prevent data breaches, and cheating scandals to maintain a safe and fair environment for players and what steps individuals can take to further protect themselves.
The Cyber Threats in Online Gaming Explored
Sadly, as the online gaming community has grown, it has also grown to be more appealing to cybercriminals.
Worryingly, no one is safe. Cyberattacks on young gamers increased by 57% in 2022, and the figures continue to rise.
Players and Platforms are both targeted by hackers hoping for financial gains, data theft, or simply to cause disruption.
Understanding the threats you are up against is the first step in learning how to protect yourself, so below are some of the most commonly encountered:
- Theft & Fraud
Account theft is all too common these days for gamers. The credentials are stolen in a number of ways but most often through phishing schemes.
Stolen credentials are lucrative, especially those that contain valuable in-game assets or, worse, those that have personal information and payment details attached.
Once obtained, hackers can sell your credentials to the next person via the black market.
- DDoS Server Attacks
One of the most frustrating types of attacks commonly facing platforms is Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS).
These attacks essentially send repetitive packets to servers to overwhelm them and stop them from running.
Aside from player frustration, they can be costly to gaming companies to protect against.
- Hacking & Cheating
The integrity of online games is tougher to manage these days with a variety of hacking tools and cheat software at the fingertips of those who don’t play fair.
Developers implement many anti-cheat systems, but aimbots, wallhacks, and other exploitative software are becoming more and more sophisticated.
They are now turning to behavioral analysis tools for detection and banning.
Online Gaming Security Advancements
With so much to contend with the gaming industry is having to step up its game to keep your games going.
Below are some of the adopted measures that highlight the evolution of online gaming security.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Most gaming platforms have adopted two-factor authentication (2FA) as a standard way to verify the credentials of the person logging on.
By asking for a second verification (often a code sent via message), unauthorized access is much less likely.
Stronger Encryption Protocols
Most platforms are now protecting data transmissions using stronger encryption protocols than ever before.
With the data encrypted, the risks of interception are lower because the transmission is unreadable without the right encryption key.
AI-Assisted Fraud Detection
Machine Learning is proving to be a very powerful tool when it comes to pattern recognition. By feeding it enough behavioral data, it can easily spot suspicious activities and deviations from the norm.
With AI-assisted tools, catching cheaters and identifying fraudulent transactions through analysis is more accurate than ever and can even be automated, banning players.
Secure Blockchain Transactions
Blockchain is being integrated into many transactional businesses because it offers absolute clarity. The way in which transactions are reported can’t be edited in any way, shape or form, which keeps them transparent and promotes trust.
It is unsurprising that the gaming industry is turning to blockchain to help prevent fraud and keep purchases secure for all parties.
It is also being used for digital asset ownership and trade in terms of NFTs and virtual currencies.
3 Tips for Enhancing Player Security
Aside from the platform duties, individuals need to consider a few precautions to help secure things from both ends.
- Passwords & Credentials
It may seem overly simple but a strong unique password and handle really is the best place to start when bolstering your security.
Don’t use the same password on multiple accounts and platforms. To keep track you might want to consider a password manager, which can also generate something strong for you.
- Hiding Your IP Address with a VPN
If you are wondering, “What is my IP address, and how can it be protected?” then you might want to consider a VPN.
A decent VPN (Virtual Private Network) can help protect you on unsecured networks such as public WiF and also hides your IP address. This means that malicious actors can’t get hold of your real location while you game.
It also encrypts your internet traffic, ensuring your personal data is kept safe.
- Mindfulness, Monitoring & Management
The biggest thing you can do as a gaming individual to protect yourself is to stay mindful of how important your personal data and digital identity are.
Whether it’s within games, in forums, or on social media you should always be cautious with what you share. Another great tip is to adjust your privacy settings and regularly check your account permissions.
Conclusion
Everything we see evolving in the world of online gaming security is a direct reflection of how sophisticated cyber threats are becoming.
As cybercriminals up the ante with increasingly complex tactics so must the security measures being taken be up to par.
Fortunately, with technological advancements, we have a plethora of tools at our disposal to help us stay ahead and put up a good fight.
By making use of AI-driven fraud detection, blockchain transactions, and encrypted communications we can level the playing field and make sure gamers can play in peace.
