Malware for Online Games Shows Staggering Increase

According to Kaspersky Lab, as online games evolve to newer kinds, hackers' targets on their gamers increase in a parallel manner, as reported by techradar on March 28, 2008.

Trojans and worms designed specially to infiltrate a computer to grab passwords for MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games have increased to a shocking 145%.

According to Sergey Golovanov, Virus Analyst, Kaspersky Lab, today, theft of game characters and virtual property is a flourishing business. According to him, while there were no universal algorithms to steal passwords for online games at the start of 2007, such algorithms became available by the end of the year, as reported by techradar on March 28, 2008.

Besides, hackers, bullies and cheaters keep inflicting Internet games. These people do anything to get users' personal and sensitive information and misuse the obtained information to their maximum advantage.

According to statistics, 8 or 9 worms attacking for MMO passwords are found across the world every day, while 5 to 6 trojans appear every hour. Further, the sophistication with which the very recent game-related malware works can be compared to the technique used in multi-purpose trojans that build networks of bot-infected PCs.

Kaspersky Lab, further, agrees that a black market has emerged where online game items are traded in a more mature fashion. Golovanov also explains in a statement, how attacks on online gamers running parallel to the development of Internet-based games, as reported by Securitypark on March 28, 2008.

But, according to the security software provider, safety can be ensured, if users avoid disclosing their personal life details while communicating over the games. In fact, text chat is much safer in playing online games than vocal chat.

Gamers should also be careful of unauthorized software that try to convince that they can enhance gaming experience and/or offer easy upgrades and free money for the games, as they could be keyloggers or trojans in disguise. Such software essentially collects users' passwords and login details and transmits them to maliciously intended people. Sometimes, they can also be viruses or other malware that could cause harm to people's computers.

Related article: Malware Authors Turn More Insidious

» SPAMfighter News - 4/5/2008