Gaming Industry Faces 94% Surge in Cyber-Threats, APJ Region Hardest Hit
The gaming industry, with its vast player base and lucrative revenues, is facing a surge in cyber-threats. Recent data reveals a 94% increase in layer 7 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and a staggering 391% rise in bot activity. Key gaming events, like the Steam Summer Sale, are particularly vulnerable to these threats.
The Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region has been hit the hardest, experiencing a total of 186 billion DDoS attacks over 18 months, with a revenue of $85.8 billion. In June and August 2023 alone, there were over 25 billion layer 7 DDoS attacks each month. Experts like Maximilian Schellhorn from AWS have been addressing these issues, but the region showing the highest level of attacks remains unclear.
Web application firewall (WAF) attacks grew by 94% in the same period. The most common traditional web threat was SQL injection (SQLi), with over 700 million incidents reported. Gamers' technical prowess also poses insider threats, with some creating bots to target streamers or spreading harmful content through in-game chat features. The rise of subscription services has brought new vulnerabilities, increasing opportunities for credential theft and phishing scams.
With 2.58 billion players and a market valuation of $184.4 billion, the gaming industry is a prime target for cyber-threats. As the industry continues to grow, so too will the need for robust security measures to protect both players and companies. Understanding and mitigating these threats will be crucial for the industry's future.
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