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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.
Federal Executive Council has approved a group life insurance scheme for federal government officials, civil servants, and some other workers at the federal level.
The approval was given at the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, said the scheme covers key government officials, comprising the President, the Vice President, the Chief of Staff, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, ministers, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, permanent secretaries and employees of federal government ministries and treasury funded agencies.
The scheme also covers paramilitary agencies such as the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Nigeria Correctional Service, the Federal Fire Service, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“The scheme underscores the importance that President Bola Tinubu’s Administration has placed welfare of staff, specifically the welfare of the federal public servant.
“The Group Life Insurance Scheme is a scheme whereby the Federal Government has taken out a life policy on each public servant. And this means that if the unfortunate incident of death occurs, the deceased public servants’ next of kin stands to have a benefit to help the family cushion the family at that time of loss,” Walson-Jack said.
The scheme is an annual one, and today’s approval was for the 2025/2026 policy year, which would commence from the date of payment of premium to underwriters in line with the no-premium, no cover policy.
However, she said the insurance scheme would expire at the end of 2026.
“The approval for today was for the appointment of 17 insurance underwriters for the group life insurance cover and the year 2025/2026. The premium is paid to the insurance companies for a duration of 12 months.
“So, this policy will expire next year. I just like to say that in as much as this policy has existed throughout this administration and even previous administrations, we find that not too many people know about the policy, and so we have, from my office, even planned to carry out a sensitisation, which will be coming up very soon,” she added.
Federal executive council (FEC) has approved the creation of MediPool, a group purchasing organisation aimed at reducing the cost of essential medicines and healthcare products across Nigeria. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said MediPool would operate as a public-private partnership, leveraging the government’s purchasing power to negotiate better prices from suppliers.
Muhammad Ali Pate
“So it’s using the monopsony power of government as a large buyer of those commodities to negotiate lower prices and then channel those commodities,” Pate said.
According to him, the scope of MediPool includes “procurement planning, distribution monitoring, supply chain, logistics management, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, as well as ensuring that local manufacturers are supported.” He added that the initiative would also address “import substitution, financial management and payment systems, capacity building and training, and contingency planning to ensure steady availability of essential drugs through public-private partnership.”
Pate said the project had been vetted through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and benchmarked against other group purchasing organisations in Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. “We believe that this is a major intervention that will shape the domestic market, so that the demand for quality pharmaceuticals can be channelled in a way that lowers cost and also improves quality and stimulates local manufacturing,” he said.
He noted that the government had been exploring multiple strategies to lower pharmaceutical costs for more than a year. “Nigerians are hurting from rising costs,” he said. “It’s not limited to Nigeria. As you may be aware, even countries as far as the United States are placing executive orders to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals.”
Pate warned that global shifts could impact medicine availability in Nigeria. If pharmaceutical companies respond to U.S. price caps by limiting supply or increasing prices elsewhere, he said, this “could disrupt the availability or affordability of certain drugs in Nigeria, particularly branded or speciality medicines.”
Meanwhile, the FEC also approved a contract worth N2.3 billion for the procurement and installation of a cardiac catheterisation machine at the Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto state. Pate said the advanced medical equipment would enhance the hospital’s ability to diagnose and treat complex heart conditions, including heart attacks and irregular heart rhythms.
British High Commission in Nigeria has reiterated the strong, long-standing relationship between the United Kingdom and Nigeria following the release of the UK Immigration White Paper earlier today.
A spokesperson for the High Commission stated that the UK remains a top destination for Nigerians seeking opportunities to work, study, visit, and settle, acknowledging the valuable contributions Nigerians make to the UK economy and society.
The White Paper outlines reforms to legal migration, aimed at restoring order, control, and fairness to the system while promoting economic growth.
The spokesperson assured that changes would be gradual, with further engagement between the UK and Nigerian government officials once implementation details are finalized.
“The UK has a proud tradition as an outward-looking nation, investing and trading abroad, and welcoming the creativity, ideas, and diversity of those who come to contribute here,” the spokesperson said.
The UK government has pledged to work closely with Nigerian authorities to ensure a smooth transition as the new immigration policies take effect
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