Key Cybersecurity Threats and Solutions for the Gaming Industry

From stolen accounts to destructive attacks, studios need strong security measures to protect players and give them a great gaming experience. This article explores the main threats and the strategies that can keep your games and players safe.

Common threats in the game

Hackers and malicious actors are always coming up with new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and disrupt the gaming experience of players. Here are some of the most common threats:

Hacking and data theft

Gamers often have valuable virtual assets and in-game purchases tied up in their accounts. Hackers can use vulnerabilities in servers and platforms to steal the data and then sell it on the black market. In turn, players would lose access to their accounts and valuable items, while studios face reputational damage and potential legal issues.

deception strategy

Deceptive emails, websites, and in-game interactions may entice players to divulge login credentials or personal information. These tactics come in two main forms:

phishing attack

Deceptive emails and websites try to trick players into clicking on harmful links or entering login details on fake login pages.

social engineering

Attackers use psychological tricks to get players to share sensitive information. They often pretend to be trusted figures (such as developers or support staff) and create false threats to force players to act quickly. Common tactics include:

• Impersonation:Attackers pretend to be game developers, customer support, or other trusted figures to trick players into sharing passwords or clicking on malicious links.
• Intimidation tactics:Phishing emails or messages may threaten suspension or deletion of accounts to force players to share personal information.

DDoS attack

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can cause excessive traffic on game servers, making them unavailable to real players. These attacks can disrupt gameplay, damage a studio's reputation, and result in lost revenue.

Video Game Cheating

These attacks don't always target player data, but they can interfere with the game itself and create an uneven playing field. Cheating causes as much damage as any other cyber threat, leading to financial losses and damaging the reputation of games, developers, studios and brands.

• Unauthorized third-party software (robots):These automated programs give the player an unfair advantage, such as automatic aiming or perspective attacks.
• Game hacks and exploits:Malicious code modifies the game client to allow cheaters to gain an advantage or bypass restrictions in the game.

How to protect your players

Taking proactive measures can protect players and ensure a safe gaming environment. Here are some strategies that game development studios can use:

• Multiple Authentication (MFA):This extra layer of security makes it more difficult for an attacker to steal a player's account, even if they have access to the password.
• Strong security practices:Implement industry-standard security practices, such as encrypting player data, conducting regular vulnerability assessments, and patching security holes in games and servers in a timely manner.
• Transparent communication:Open up to players about security issues. Quickly acknowledge any violations and explain the steps you've taken to resolve the issue and prevent a reoccurrence.
• Security Awareness:It's important to teach players about security. Share guides and articles on common cyber threats and scams on a regular basis. Focus on things like using strong passwords, avoiding suspicious links, and downloading only from trusted sources.
• Collaborate with security experts:Security can be complex. It's a good idea to work with experts like Revolgy to build robust security solutions for your games and infrastructure.

Secure Your Game with AWS

AWS has a number of services built specifically for the gaming community to help protect studios from threats such as data breaches, DDoS attacks, and unauthorized logins.How AWS secures your games:

• Block DDoS attacks: Stonecdn Shield protects your game from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which can overwhelm your servers and take players offline. This helps keep your game up and running even during large-scale attacks.
• Keep your data safe: Stonecdn Shield's tool to monitor any suspicious activity or unauthorized access. This protects your players' personal information and in-game purchases from hackers.
• Protect player logins:utilizationStonecdn ShieldIt's easy to securely manage player accounts and ensure that only authorized users have access to them.