Video game companies attract cybercrime

Historically, financial companies are the companies that innovate the most on a digital scale in cybersecurity, but gaming companies are beginning to follow this trend.

The gaming industry has proven to be a multi-million dollar industry. Video game titles that sell massively, updates to titles or the sale of consoles support this industry that as it grows becomes more attractive to attack.

In an environment where the gaming and online gambling industries are increasingly exposed to cyber threats, the rise of Distributed Denial of Service ( DDoS ) attacks has become a critical concern . This phenomenon has been the subject of detailed analysis in Netscout’s latest DDoS Threat Intelligence Report, which highlights a significant increase in the frequency and sophistication of these cyber attacks targeting these industries.

Between 80% and 90% of all DDoS attacks have targeted the online gaming and gambling sectors and according to the report, in 2023 there were more than 100,000 DDoS attacks targeting video game publishers and more than 20,500 attacks against gambling-related companies.

According to Statista, the global gaming industry was valued at over $184 billion in 2022 and will reach $200 billion in 2023. This growth has been driven by the rise in mobile gaming adoption, the expansion of the cloud gaming market, and the rise of e-sports.

“The online gaming and betting industry in Mexico and Latin America is under increasing threat from DDoS attacks. Companies in this sector must implement robust cybersecurity strategies and be prepared to respond quickly to these attacks to protect the integrity of their services and the trust of their users,” said Jorge Tsuchiya, regional director for Mexico at Netscout.

A report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, titled The Dark Side of Children's Virtual Gaming Worlds, reveals that attacks targeting this age group increased by 57% compared to 2021.

According to Netscout’s report, extremely powerful DDoS attacks were recorded in the second half of 2023, with some reaching up to 75 million packets per second (Mpps) and others exceeding 776 Gbps in terms of bandwidth. These figures underline the seriousness of these threats, especially in regions where digital infrastructures are more vulnerable.

More complex cyber attacks

Most attacks last between five and 15 minutes, but 19 percent of them last for more than an hour. This indicates that many attacks are persistent and carefully coordinated to cause the most damage, according to Tsuchiya.

For example, during an e-sports tournament, where millions of players and spectators are connected simultaneously, a DDoS attack could not only disrupt the event, but also cause significant financial losses and damage the reputation of the organizing company. For this reason, it is crucial for online gaming platforms to strengthen their security measures against DDoS attacks.

Another recommendation made by the company is to have a detailed mapping of network activity to ensure service continuity and protect critical resources, since complete visibility of the network allows anticipating attacks before they cause significant damage, allowing not only rapid detection and response, but also traffic analysis to prevent future threats.

“These attacks not only seek to disrupt service, but also to destabilize companies both economically and operationally. Attackers are increasingly organized and exploit specific vulnerabilities of these platforms, often during peak traffic hours, to maximize impact,” the study said.

In a competitive industry like online gaming, businesses must integrate DDoS resilience as a core element of their security strategy. This not only protects their operations, but also helps maintain player trust – a crucial factor for continued success in the industry.