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Check Point Software Reveals Cyber Threats to Online Gamers

World Video Game Day celebrates a market that continues to grow in both revenue and participants.
Although gaming started as a single-player activity, most now involve multiple players with an online community that is able to talk and interact with each other through headsets or send instant messages during the games.
Online gaming flourished especially during the global COVID lockdowns, as online gaming provided a much- needed outlet for entertainment and social interaction, with hundreds of thousands new accounts created and new communities born.
This was obviously a boon to would-be hackers, with an estimated 1 billion online gamers worldwide in 2020, with China, South Korea, and Japan having the biggest online gaming reach amongst the population according to Statistic. They estimate that by 2025, online gaming audiences are projected to surpass 1.3 billion.
Check Point® Software Technologies, a provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, warns that now that gaming is one of the world’s largest entertainment industries, it is also one of the major targets of cybercriminals. Companies in the gaming industry that have fallen victim to cyberattack include CD Projekt Red, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft.
This is because gamers often hand over as much personal information to companies in this industry as they would to their employer, bank or when online shopping.
There are a few different reasons why a cybercriminal targets gamers:
- To sell your virtual assets for real-world money – Cybercriminals will often breach gamers’ accounts and steal their virtual goods in order to then sell them to other users for real-world money.
In many ways, video game economies have essentially been the forerunners of cryptocurrencies. It should always be kept in mind that the virtual money earned in a game cannot be used in the real world, but it has a value to gamers and be traded.
- To steal games from your inventory – Many games are published, sold and authenticated online via platforms such as Steam, Origin and GOG Galaxy. CPR reported on a major vulnerabilities in popular Valve games networking library, which if exploited could take over hundreds of thousands of computers without needing users to click on phishing emails, as victims will be affected by simply logging onto the game.
People will typically manage all of their purchases from a single account, and long-term users are known to have libraries with hundreds of games. Cybercriminals will sometimes hack into accounts to steal some of these games for their own use.
- To gain as much information about you as possible for identify theft and bank fraud – With online transactions and monthly subscriptions, there is a lot of financial information at play, which is attractive to cybercriminals. Sometimes they can even track information as sensitive as your location or listen into phone calls in the case of a mobile game.
So, how can you stay protected? Here are three key tips from Check Point Software:
- Use two-factor authentication (2FA): Many games make it easy for attackers to do their job; often, simply looking at another participant will reveal their username. For example, Battlefield 5 has a competitive mode for up to 64 players, meaning that a single game provides a cybercriminal with up to 63 usernames with which to test common or default passwords.
It’s important to have two-factor authentication enabled – when a separate code is required if logging in from a new device – to keep accounts secure.
- Beware of phishing: Phishing campaigns frequently target users of popular games. A common tactic used by cybercriminals is to create a fake login page, or to impersonate a friend and attempt to send malicious links via chat platforms.
The shared interest in video games lends credibility and builds trust. Make sure to look out for anything that doesn’t look right and never click on any links.
- Beware of ‘too good to be true’ promises: In this world, malware propagation vectors often coincide with phishing methods. If Steam chat can be used to spread links to fake authentication pages, it can certainly be used to send links to unintentional or ‘drive-by’ malware downloads.
In the case of competitive gaming, many players can be convinced to willingly download malicious applications that promise ‘cheats’, hacks or other ways to gain advantage over other users.
You need to be aware of any such offers and only download applications from official app stores. Add to this the risk of malware managing to spread to devices connected to a corporate network, and the danger is much higher.
“Video games are an open door for many types of cyberattacks and taking extreme precautions is no longer an option but a necessity. Having two-factor authentication to access the account, installing protection software or knowing the signs of a phishing attack are key to avoid becoming the next victim.
“Online games are becoming more and more popular and by using them on a daily basis, it is very easy to let your guard down and become overconfident. The main problem is that cybercriminals are always alert and will not miss an opportunity to strike,” says Pankaj Bhula: Check Point’s EMEA Regional Director: Africa.
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NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
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Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
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CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
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