Cybercrime in online gaming

What is it about?

The popularity of video games coupled with their global connectivity has raised concerns about safety. Although video game developers and publishers have long been plagued by crime, with early concerns centered on piracy and reverse engineering, video game companies are not the only targets. Cybercriminals also have their sights on gamers. This chapter examines cybercrime affecting the video game industry and its players. Focused on the most deliberated forms of cybercrime found in the literature within the past few years, this chapter discusses data breaches, compromised accounts and stolen data, the theft and sale of in-game items, and money laundering.

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Why is it important?

There is a lack of consensus regarding the extent to which cybercrime has impacted the video game industry and its players. Yet, the number of recent data breaches are cause for alarm, underlying the need for game developers and publishers to actively address these new cyber threats head-on. Then there is the belief that what gamers perceive as typical gameplay for quick advancement may be problematic, illustrating the need for cybersecurity-related interventions and training intended to help gamers understand the threats, their causes, and the respective consequences. This chapter presents that online safety is a shared responsibility between the video game industry and gamer community. Game developers and publishers should take today’s criminal activity seriously, by building better security into games to protect players. Simultaneously, gamers are accountable for their actions, and have a responsibility to ensure that they are not contributing to today’s online criminal activity.

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