Tag Archive for: Gamer

Kaspersky reports growth in gamer cyberattacks in 2023, ETCIO SEA

/in


The global gaming community, which currently accounts for nearly half of the world’s population, has found itself increasingly under fire by cybercriminals, according to a comprehensive investigation by Kaspersky. In the period spanning from July 2022 to July 2023, the cybersecurity company discovered the growing vulnerability of the gaming user base. Cybercriminals exploited this vast community to access personal data, launching a range of attacks, including web vulnerabilities, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, cryptocurrency mining, and complex Trojan or phishing campaigns.

In the period from July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, Kaspersky’s solutions detected a substantial 4,076,530 attempts to download 30,684 unique files masked as popular games, mods, cheats, and other game-related software. These incidents affected 192,456 users worldwide. These files – primarily classified as unwanted software and often labeled as not-a-virus:Downloader (89.70%), – are not innately perilous, but they are capable of downloading various other programs, even malicious ones, onto the user’s device. Adware (5.25%) and Trojans (2.39%) were also noteworthy threats to desktop gamers.

Minecraft emerged as the favored target among cybercriminals, responsible for triggering 70.29% of all alerts. The threats using Minecraft as bait impacted 130,619 players across the globe during the reporting period. Roblox was the second most targeted game title, contributing to 20.37% of all alerts affecting 30,367 users. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (4.78%), PUBG (2.85%), Hogwarts Legacy (0.60%), DOTA 2 (0.45%), and League of Legends (0.31%) were also among the prominent games subjected to cyber threats.

The mobile gaming community, which, according to the Newzoo 2023 report consists of over three billion gamers, or nearly 40% of the world’s population, is characterized by its significant growth and accessibility, and has become an enticing target for cybercriminals. Between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, Kaspersky documented 436,786 attempts to infect mobile devices, impacting 84,539 users.

Various game titles were employed as bait to target mobile…

Source…

Weekend Gamer: Abandoning Home Internet

/in


I no longer have home internet. I was paying $35, then $50 a month, for home internet with a DSL company, which I won’t mention its name… but they’re nationwide. Internet was slow at 3 mbps, but it was fine for what I was doing. I wasn’t streaming HD videos (I still buy Blurays) or doing live streams.

For the first time, I decided to abandon home DSL internet. All this was made possible when I was getting unlimited data on my phone, via Visible, a company by Verizon. I know many people have problems with Visible, but I’ve been using them for over a year, and it works for me.

Of course, leaving home internet, there will be some drawbacks. None of my “internet of things” devices will work correctly now. For example “smart screens” or internet security cameras. You can still access the camera using a local network (that’s not connected to the internet), as long as you are signed into that local network. Still, it’s not convenient and these constantly connected devices won’t work properly.

The other drawback is that Visible only allows you to connect one device to your phone, using your phone’s hotspot or tethering method. I suggest you read Visible’s website for details about its hotspot restrictions…. however, you can get around the one device limit by using an iPhone (Apple uses a different method to connect devices that bypass Visible’s restriction). So in November 2021, I purchased the iPhone 13, and have been very happy with both the device and my ability to connect multiple devices.

Speaking of hotspot, there is a 5 mbps cap when you tether. That’s still faster than my old DSL service! I found that, especially when I upload files, it’s much faster than DSL.

Pricing for Visible, right now, is $25 a month for unlimited talk, text, and data. Starting in October, they are changing their prices to $30 or $45, which I previously mentioned in Sep 2022. Hey, even at the more expensive $45 (which promises a faster network and expanded network), I might be willing to pay more, especially if now I am paying for both a phone and personal internet combined. Even at $45, it would still be cheaper than my ex-DSL service.

My other…

Source…

T-Mobile hacker speaks. Misusing browser histories? IoT camera bug. Gamer data exposed. FBI warns of Hive ransomware.

/in


At a glance.

  • What was the T-Mobile hacker thinking?
  • EU cautions against using browser histories in credit assessments.
  • IoT security camera bug.
  • EskyFun data exposure.
  • FBI describes Hive ransomware.

Alleged T-Mobile attacker reveals himself.

A hacker is claiming responsibility for the massive recent T-Mobile data breach, and his review of the cell phone provider’s security systems is less than favorable. John Binns, an American man living in Turkey, told the Wall Street Journal that he used a simple, publicly available tool to penetrate T-Mobile’s “awful” defenses. He scanned T-Mobile’s websites for vulnerabilities then sussed out an unprotected T-Mobile router where he found credentials that granted him access to one hundred of the company’s servers. Binns has not disclosed whether he was paid to carry out the hack or whether he successfully sold the data, but he claims his motivation was not monetary. He says his goal was to “make noise” in order to draw attention to his purported mistreatment by the US government, including an alleged kidnapping that landed him in a “fake” mental institution. 

EDPS advises against using internet histories for credit assessment.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has declared that an individual’s personal internet history data should not be used in assessing credit scores, The Record by Recorded Future reports. “[T]he EDPS considers that inferring consumers’ credit risk from data such as search query data or online browsing activities cannot be reconciled with the principles of purpose limitation, fairness and transparency, as well as relevance, adequacy or proportionality of data processing,” the agency asserts. The EDPS also advised against using health data or any other special category of personal data under Article 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation, as it could lead to unfair treatment of consumers. The advisory was in response to a blog post published by the International Monetary Fund last year that claimed examining this sort of data could lead to more accurate credit assessments.  

Bug detected in IoT security cameras.

Nozomi Networks Labs has disclosed the discovery of a critical Remote Code…

Source…

Free McAfee Gamer Security Offering Protects and Boosts U.S. PC Gamer Experience

/in


SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, McAfee announced that it will offer a free 1-year subscription for McAfee Gamer Security to new and existing U.S. multi-device security customers. Gaming has become one of the primary sources of entertainment for consumers in the wake of the global pandemic, and with the shift to a digital-first lifestyle, McAfee continues to focus on protecting consumers during moments that matter – when opportunistic hackers find an entry point – especially as gaming PC sales growing 16.2% in 2020.

Launched in 2019, McAfee Gamer Security delivers a unique combination of performance and protection through its built-from-ground-up feature set, considering the needs of the wide spectrum of PC gaming – from families with children that game to PC gamers themselves. Even though PC gamers are the most connected online users, they often forgo necessary security protocols which potentially exposes them to threats such as malware, ransomware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), and other threats in favor of squeezing more performance for gaming. According to McAfee’s 2021 Consumer Security Mindset: Gamer Edition, nearly 2 in 3 (65%) Americans admitted that it never occurred to them that they might need to use security solutions while gaming.

“We knew that it was imperative that we meet PC gamers where they are as tech-savvy, performance-centric individuals. They know that they need online protection, but aren’t willing to compromise their experience for it,” said Baker Nanduru, Head of Consumer Products at McAfee. “Consumers are looking to gaming as a release from everyday stresses, and McAfee is giving them one less thing to worry about. With this new offering of McAfee Gamer Security, our greater U.S. customer base can enjoy a smoother, safer gaming experience.”

Key Features and Benefits of McAfee Gamer Security Include:

  • Minimal Security Resource Consumption: With a new product architecture and a smaller resource footprint, gamers will enjoy low-impact security protection at all times. Security features can even be paused during gaming mode for further performance gains.
  • Game Mode: Automatically boosts and optimizes resources…

Source…