The increase in the number of players was used by cybercriminals

Last year, when almost the whole world found itself in a lockdown, the number of people who loved computer games rose sharply. The number of players reached record numbers in March last year, and this March broke that record again, with the number of active players on the Steam gaming platform reaching almost 27 million. However, the increase in the number of players was also used by cybercriminals. This was pointed out by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky. Last spring, according to company experts, there was a significant increase in the number of web detections detected by anti-virus programs on sites that exploit the theme of games - for example, using the names of popular games and platforms. "By comparison, between January and April 2020, the number of blocked redirects to these sites increased by 54%," experts said. However, the number of web attacks with a "gaming" theme rose even after last year's spring lockdowns. It peaked in November 2020 with almost 2.5 million attacks. At the beginning of this year, although the number of attacks decreased, but now the attacks on players are growing again, in April this year, experts recorded 1.125 million such attacks, which is 34% more than a month before. This year, last year, cybercriminals most often used the game Minecraft for fraud. This year, however, the game Counter Strike Global Offensive is also coming to her. "The Dota series of strategic video games has also seen an enormous increase in bait, specifically in the summer of 2020," the experts added. The most common threats that these malicious links exploit the game theme include various Trojans, malicious files that allow cybercriminals to do everything from deleting and blocking data to interrupting computer performance, with malware usually disguised as a free version, update, or extension for popular games or programs. To prevent cyber attacks, experts recommend that players use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to protect their gaming accounts. "Be careful with any pirated copies of video games, as this is one of the favorite camouflage used by cybercriminals," experts said. They also advise using a reliable security solution and buying games only on the official website. Players should also be aware of phishing campaigns and unknown players and should avoid clicking on links to external sites in the game chat.