Hacker attacks during Pandemic- The Gaming Industry
By: Quadraforce Technologies
Tags: Gaming Culture, Hacking, Pandemic Diaries

-B V Harshita , Frontend Developer @Quadraforcetech

Given that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to major restrictions and lockdowns around the world, with an increase in online gaming, the number of hacker attacks on the gaming and gambling industries has also increased.

In recent months, we have probably enjoyed the technology and various technological gadgets we have at our disposal today more than ever before in history. Many people were voluntarily or forcibly locked inside their four walls due to the pandemic, so they had to find entertainment to fill the day in their homes.

Video Games and Online Gambling as Pastime

Of course, many have found the solution to their problems in a computer, tablet, or smartphone — which only shows how dependent we are on technology today. Playing online games, developing strategies, and teaming up with friends in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games or playing first-person shooters (for loners) exploded during the pandemic.

In April 2020, an anonymous hacker leaked the usernames and passwords of around 23 million online players of the children’s game Webkinz World, made by Canadian toy company Ganz. The hacker purportedly accessed the game’s database using an SQL injection flaw found in one of the site’s web forms.

The closing of land-based betting offices and casinos ‘forced’ sports enthusiasts to fulfill their passion for gambling on the Internet more than ever. The moment sports summer break was over, seasons set off in most of the sports (they are played without a live audience) and online bookmakers started accepting bets. The same was and still is with online casinos, who compete with each other for better conditions for their users, which led to their improvement or a drop in the ranking on specialized platforms.

The Hackers Saw Their Chance and Launched an Attack

But the technology, in addition to its many benefits, also has some drawbacks — among which, of course, the most notable are malicious hacker attacks. Following data from Nexusguard, one of the leading providers of DDoS mitigation, and their report on DDoS threats, the third quarter of 2020 saw a 287 % increase in this type of hacker attack over the same period a year earlier. The primary targets of these attacks were the online gaming industry and the online gambling industry.

Online gaming services are extremely sensitive to latency and unavailability of services, which makes them excellent targets for large DDoS attacks. Online gaming is increasing exponentially, and given the growth in the use of cloud services, as well as the lack of other forms of entertainment during the pandemic, cyber attackers have paved the path for a large number of potential targets. Platforms and ISPs should take certain measures to ensure system stability, which may include segregating applications to reduce damage but also conducting exercises to reduce service disruptions during attacks.

How Can the Gaming and Gambling Industry Resist Attacks?

The mentioned report reveals that 99.5 % of the cyber-attacks in the said period were of a volumetric nature, of which 99.4% attacked only one vector. DDoS attacks are, by the way, a favorite choice of games when it comes to hacker attacks, who in this way want to prevent other gamers from gaining (un)fair advantage and winning.

Also, the gaming industry alone cannot stop these attacks, but cooperation between the entire gaming industry (as well as the gambling industry) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) is needed in order to conduct a successful fight against hackers. This can be achieved through technology, knowledge sharing, and the use of best security practices.