The company Akamai Technologies, Inc. recently released a new report named “State of the Internet”. This report discovered a significant increase in attacks on web applications in the gaming industry over the past year. Titled “State of the Internet – Gaming Respawned”, the report also explains that this increase is due to the popularity and demand for cloud gaming platforms, which have surged drastically.

Such attacks can have a substantial impact on gamers and the gaming industry as a whole. One of the primary impacts is the risk of gamers’ accounts being breached by cybercriminals, leading to the sale of game accounts and theft of personal information, including credit card data, becoming more rampant. This can financially harm gamers and also threaten their privacy. Additionally, the market for microtransactions within the gaming industry is projected to reach a figure of US$106.02 billion by 2026, making it an attractive target for attackers to carry out cyber-attacks.

The report highlights that the gaming industry is one of the sectors most frequently targeted by DDoS attacks. With 37 percent of the total DDoS attacks directed at the gaming industry, this percentage is much higher compared to the financial sector, which only receives 22 percent of such attacks. These figures are quite alarming as they show how vulnerable the gaming industry is to DDoS attacks and how crucial it is to undertake prevention and protection measures to address them.

The report also showcases several other findings as follows:

• There was a 167 percent increase in attacks on web applications in the gaming sector between the 1st quarter of 2021 and the 1st quarter of 2022, affecting millions of video game player accounts worldwide.
• The countries most frequently targeted by attacks are the United States, followed by Switzerland, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Europe and Asia.
• Gaming companies are moving their operations to the cloud, making it a lucrative field for hackers to pursue.
• The common microtransactions in the gaming industry provide a means for criminals to carry out their actions unnoticed, targeting the financial capabilities of game players.

Jonathan Singer, Senior Strategist at Akamai for the Media & Entertainment Industry, stated that growth and evolution in gaming activities have led to an increase in the number of cyber attacks occurring. According to him, as the gaming industry experiences rapid growth and becomes increasingly popular, it becomes an enticing target for cybercriminals. Therefore, there needs to be an enhancement in the protection and prevention of cyber attacks in the gaming industry to reduce the risk of financial and privacy losses for both players and gaming companies. Cybercriminals typically target live services and shared credentials to steal gaming assets. Additionally, with the expansion of the gaming industry into cloud technology, there are potential new threats that criminals can exploit to target new players in the industry.

Besides implementing stringent prevention and protection measures, it is also vital to consider undertaking penetration testing. This method can help companies or the gaming industry evaluate their system security levels and identify potential security gaps. By conducting penetration testing, companies or the gaming industry can devise plans to fix and prevent cyber attacks, thus minimizing possible losses. Therefore, penetration testing is a wise step to take in maintaining system security within the gaming industry.