Attacks on gaming platforms more than double

Cloud gaming platforms are increasingly under attack putting player accounts at risk of compromise by cybercriminals, according to a new report, Gaming Respawned, published by Akamai Technologies.

The report suggests attacks on web applications in the gaming sector usually result in the selling of gaming accounts and theft of personal information including credit card data. The microtransaction market is reportedly expected to reach $106.02Bn by 2026 creating a massive target for attackers.

Further, the data also finds that the gaming industry is targeted for 37% of all DDoS attacks — a notable amount, given that the second most targeted vertical is the financial sector at 22%.

Other key findings of the report include:

• Web application attacks in the gaming sector have grown by 167% from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, impacting millions of video gamer accounts worldwide.
• The United States is the main target of attackers, followed by Switzerland, India, Japan, the United Kingdom and other nations throughout Europe and Asia.
• Gaming companies are moving operations into the cloud, creating new threat surfaces for hackers.
• Microtransactions — prevalent in the gaming industry — represent a huge draw for criminals who can capitalise on the spending power of gamers without drawing attention to themselves.
   

"As gaming activity has increased and evolved, so has the value of disrupting it through cyber attacks," said Jonathan Singer, Akamai's Senior Strategist, Media & Entertainment Industries.

"Cybercriminals typically disrupt live services and co-opt credentials to steal gaming assets. Also, with the industry's expansion into cloud gaming, new threat surfaces have opened up for attackers by bringing in new players who are prime targets for bad actors. Our latest report, Gaming Respawned, looks at why and how the gaming industry has become such a worldwide target that attracts cybercriminals, cheaters and money launderers," he said.

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