Gaming-related web attacks have increased by more than 50 per cent and experts in Bahrain have urged people to take security measures to avoid becoming the latest victim of heartless cybercriminals.
The online fiends have been exploiting the increased popularity in video games during the Covid-19 crisis to launch attacks, according to global cybersecurity company Kaspersky.
“Often times, users are lured by promises such as free versions of popular games, updates and extensions, or cheats. However, if users click on these links, a wide variety of malicious programmes can be downloaded, from password-stealing malware to ransomware and miners – software that secretly mines cryptocurrency from the victim’s computer,” said the latest report from Kaspersky.
The daily number of blocked attempts to direct Kaspersky users to malicious sites that exploit the gaming theme increased by 54pc in April when compared with January.
“The game most often used by criminals was Minecraft, one of the most popular games ever made. Its name was used in more than 130,000 web attacks, and the other most popular games used in attacks were Counter Strike: Global Offensive and The Witcher 3.”
But it’s not just gaming that people should be worried about. Regional Bahrain based AI expert and Artificial Intelligence Society president Dr Jassim Haji told the GDN that pretty much everything people do online is under constant siege and risk of attack.
“In a normal scenario, you would be playing your favourite online games without concern in a fantasy world with no hackers, malware, or cyber-attacks. Unfortunately, that world doesn’t exist,” said Dr Haji.
“Many software updates and bug fixes contain security improvements that help guard your smartphone against data breaches and intrusions, and close off vulnerabilities, making it harder for hackers to break through.
“When an update is announced for your device’s operating system, or for any of the apps you use, install it without delay.
“Many remote workers admit to using their personal devices rather than their designated work tech and 46pc of employees report transferring files between their work and personal computers.
“If employees obtain sensitive data and store it on their personal devices it puts companies at risk.”
Dr Haji recommended using strong passwords with 16-20 characters, featuring a mixture of letters and numbers, upper and lowercase, as well as symbols.
Brute force password crackers will still dismantle many strong passwords, but making it easy for hackers by using your birthday, your pet’s name, or the same password for everything is a ‘truly terrible idea’, he added.
“The easiest ways for hackers to invade your phone and access your information is through your email inbox,” said Dr Haji.
“Phishing scams are designed to trick you into handing over access to your accounts. Avoid clicking on links in promotional emails, opening suspicious attachments, or running app updates prompted through email.
“Do not try to access financial accounts through random emails, but instead, go directly to the financial institution website and sign in with a proper username and password.”
ghazi@gdn.com.bh
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