A new report suggests that web application attacks on the gaming industry more than doubled over the past year. The new report, Gaming Respawned, notes these attacks come in the wake of booming popularity and demand for cloud gaming platforms.
Akamai Technologies, Inc. today released a new State of the Internet report showing that web application attacks on the gaming industry more than doubled over the past year.
Attacks on web applications in the gaming sector puts player accounts at risk of being compromised by cyber criminals resulting in the selling of gaming accounts and theft of personal information including credit card data.
According to the report, the microtransaction market is reportedly expected to reach USD 106.02B by 2026 creating a massive target for attackers. The report also finds that the gaming industry is targeted for 37 percent of all DDoS attacks. This is an overwhelming amount as the second most targeted vertical is the financial sector at 22 percent.
Other key findings of Gaming Respawned include:
“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.
“Cyber criminals 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 cyber criminals, cheaters and money launderers,” he added.