Science & Technology: PS4, Xbox One fan alert: Gamers attacked 11.7 million times in 2013

PS4, Xbox One fan alert: Gamers attacked 11.7 million times in 2013 - Emirates 24/7 2.00 PM Friday, 27 December 2013 RSS Feeds

HomeNewsEmiratesGovernmentRegionWorldCrimeLocalRegionWorldEntertainmentFilms & MusicCelebrity GossipEventsOffbeatThis is lifeCrazy WorldSportsLocalCricketFootballOtherFIFA U-17 World Cup UAE 2013BusinessEconomy & FinanceCorporateTechnologyEnergyPropertyReal EstateRentalsLifestyleHealthShoppingFoodFashionVideoIn PicturesBollywoodJobsExpo 2020 HomeBusinessTechnology Advanced PS4, Xbox One fan alert: Gamers attacked 11.7 million times in 2013ByStaffPublishedFriday, December 27, 2013

A Sony PlayStation 4 console is displayed in this November 14, 2013 file photo in a Best Buy store on the upper East Side of Manhattan, in New York. More than a million PlayStation 4 consoles were sold in the first 24 hours of its release in North America, according to manufacturer Sony. The Japanese electronics giant announced the figures in a statement November 17, 2013 as it seeks to gain ground on Microsoft, which is releasing its Xbox One console this week. "PS4 was designed with an unwavering commitment to gamers, and we are thrilled that consumer reaction has been so phenomenal," said Andrew House, president and group chief of Sony Computer Entertainment. (AFP)

Just days after the launch of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, Kaspersky Lab experts have discovered that PC gamers around the globe were hit by a massive number of attacks in 2013.

Currently, Kaspersky Lab knows 4.6 million pieces of gaming focused malware, with the total number of attacks facing gamers hitting 11.7 million globally. On average, users were hit by 34,000 attacks related to gaming malware daily. With Christmas coming up and hundreds of thousands expected to receive games as presents, Kaspersky Lab experts are recommending users take the right precautions. Russian gamers were the worst hit of all, as hackers made 8,813,050 attempts on them from January 1 to December 2013. Vietnam was in second with 503,947, followed by China on 376,058. Here’s the global Top 10 ranking: • Russian Federation: 8,813,050• Vietnam: 503,947• China: 376,058• India: 207,245• Spain: 139,078• Poland: 127,583• Turkey: 121,164• Taiwan: 97,843• Thailand: 92,914• Italy: 75,155 Gamers face all kinds of different digital attempts on their systems. Underground forums are ridden with cyber crooks selling access to people’s gaming accounts, such as the portal and marketplace Steam. The market for usernames and passwords is fuelled by attacks on the gaming companies themselves. Earlier this year, Kaspersky Lab detected a major espionage campaign on a range of massively multiplayer online games makers, with source code and other valuable data stolen. Malware types target specific games, such as the hugely popular Minecraft. Earlier this year, a fake Minecraft tool built with Java promised to give the player powers such as banning other users, but was stealing usernames and passwords in the background. When Grand Theft Auto V landed earlier this year, various sites offered fake downloads to access the record-smashing game for free. But when users tried to get the game, all they got was malware – a classic example of powerful names getting abused to lure victims into downloading malicious code. Then there’s the typical scams, like phishing. Slews of emails are sent around every time a big gaming launch happens, and at Christmas, attempting to lure users into handing over data or money with the promise of discounts or cheap gaming goods. “Gaming has an ever increasing fanbase, which also means that the number of potential victims for cyber criminals is rising as well. The cyber criminals are taking a lot of effort into their attacks and we can see the upsurge in sophistication. Especially in times like Christmas, when a lot of new games are being released, gamers need to be attentive stay secure” - says Christian Funk, Senior Virus Analyst, Global Research & Analysis Team. So gamers, especially anyone investing in a load of new games this Christmas, need to take the right precautions, investing in adequate protections and wising up to the range of threats they face. Here’s Kaspersky Lab’s top five tips for gaming security: 1. Don’t click through on any offers that look too good to be true, whether from your inbox or on social networks like Facebook or Twitter. If an offer does come through that looks legitimate, ensure the sender is trusted before hitting a link or handing over any details. If in doubt, contact the official company the sender claims to be from. 2. Use strong and varied passwords across your gaming accounts. As we’ve seen this year, gaming companies get hacked and logins are leaked. If you don’t have different credentials, getting one set stolen means all your different accounts using that same password could be compromised. Consider investing in a password manager, as it will give you simple, smart protection. 3. Get a good quality anti-virus. With the rafts of gaming malware out there, and the increasing sophistication of the malicious software, you’ll need some level of protection against it. You’ll need AV that goes beyond signature-based detection to look at file reputation, if you want to stop the smartest malware getting on your system. 4. Be careful whom you befriend. It’s easy to make friends in virtual worlds today, but not all are doing so innocently. Beware anyone who asks for your personal details, as they may want to do more than just contact you. 5. Only download titles from legitimate sellers. If you’re downloading an illegal copy of a game, you aren’t just breaking the law. You’re risking getting malware on your machine, as crooks often disguise game files as malicious software. Print

Share with a friend or colleagueYour e-mail address:Recipient's e-mail address:MessageCommentsHave your sayComments submitted by third parties on this site are the sole responsibility of the individual/s whose content is submitted. DMI accepts no responsibility for the content of comment/s, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein. Please note that your email address will NOT appear on the site.

Your name:E-mail:Message:By submitting your comments you agree to this website's Terms & Conditions

Type in the characters you see in the picture below.

Expo 2020: Watch out for these mega developments in Dubai

Dubai developers are set to commence work on several mega projects in the coming months in order to complete and

Expo impact: UAE to see $35bn contracts

Mega projects expected in the next few months

Target 2020: Your mobile phone is all that you will need to access services

Seamless integration of eGovernance and mServices planned ahead of Expo 2020

US congratulates UAE on win

UAE remains an important trade and investment partner: White House

UAE to be a global tech hub

Dubai is already racing towards transforming into a smart city

Videos

Naseeruddin Shah talks about 'Dedh Ishqiya'

[video]Naseeruddin Shah talks about 'Dedh Ishqiya'

Christmas in mud as rain pelts Philippine disaster zone

[video] Survivors of the Philippines' deadliest typhoon spend a gloomy Christmas Day surrounded by mud as heavy rain

See more videos Free Newsletter: Subscribe & WinDon't miss out on the latest news
Subscribe to Emirates24|7 Newsletter and WIN 5 Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones News In Images

Bollywood biggies at Salman Khan's 48th birthday bash

Bollywood's Kapoor family meets up over lunch

Bollywood divas celebrate Christmas

Ranbir, Katrina in vacation mood

Saif-Kareena go holidaying

Selena Gomez cooks dinner with baby sis

Duchess Kate wraps up for Christmas

Kim-Kanye caught in Christmas mood See more galleries Most Popular in BusinessReadEmailedCommentedPS4, Xbox One fan alert: Gamers attacked 11.7 million times in 2013Free download of BlackBerry BBM for Android, iPhone: Click here to jump the queueTransparent iPhone 6: New images, videos prove it’s real; coming 2013iPhone 6 release rumours: Screen you can write on with a pencil… features to kill Galaxy S4?Gatwick set to welcome Emirates A380Did CEO Tim Cook just leak Apple's 'big' plan for iPhone 6 in 2014?Preinstalled BBM, free voice calls on iPhone and AndroidDu’s new multi-Sim lets you manage five devices with one plan and one numberEtisalat apologises for technical glitch that slowed UAE InternetMustang 3D-prints engine… Wait, what? Latest jobs availableProjectManager ???? ??????,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia2013-12-26MysteryShoppers needed in Doha - QatarINTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK ,Doha,Qatar2013-12-26MysteryShopper needed in Sialkot, Punjab, PakistanINTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK,Sialkot, Pakistan2013-12-26MysteryShoppers needed in Latifabad - PakistanINTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK,Hyderabad, Pakistan2013-12-26MysteryShoppers needed in Ras Tanura - Saudi ArabiaINTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHECK,Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia2013-12-26More jobs on Emirates24|7 Follow
Emirates 24|7Follow
Emirates 24|7

Recent CommentsDhavan should not go the Vinod Kambli way, rather, should learn the pace of Pujara. Needless to say that Dhavan Is a Miki DesaiFri, 27 Dec 13:01Gauhar,you deserve to b d winner..and if tanisha wins,i will stopwatching big boss roopaFri, 27 Dec 12:59I am grateful for the viewing. Miki DesaiFri, 27 Dec 12:57Gauhar deserves to win..Tanisha must be out immediately. Vootnoor SudhakarFri, 27 Dec 12:44 Related articlesBeat online fraudsters in their own gameMicrosoft Xbox ONE vs Sony PS4: Which console is right for you?Cyberworld abounds with bad elves: NortonHead to head: iPhone vs. Android'Linkedin' hacked, data breached