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Cybercrime syndicate targets video game companies

Regardless of the industry, all enterprises own data that can prove valuable to cyberthieves. Whether the company's servers contain financial records, employees' personal identification files or proprietary information, hackers will find an avenue to profit from its theft. The latest victims of the ever-increasing cybercrime threat have been companies within the video game industry. The Age reported that, over a four-year period, several gaming businesses have been targeted by a ring of cybercriminals.

Dating back to 2009, at least 35 video game developers and publishers have experienced network breaches. Most of the targeted businesses are located in East Asia, but American, German and Brazilian servers were also attacked.

The culprits of this assault reportedly belong to a China-based ring of hackers using malware known as "Winnti". According to security experts, evidence suggested that the cybercriminals attempted to steal both software code for the purpose of creating pirated versions as well as in-game currency that could be leveraged for financial benefit.

One aspect of the malware attack that has raised some concerns among security experts is its potential reach. The targeted companies were notable for operating massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. By infiltrating these networks, hackers could potentially spread their malware among millions of users, according to Ars Technica. Investigators discovered at least two incidents when malware had been uploaded to a game server and spread to players.

Investigators also found evidence that the malware had been used for other reasons. For example, infiltrated the networks of many Tibetan and Uyghur activists in order to spy on their activities. 

Cybercriminals are now targeting virtually every sector of the global industry. Encryption can prevent hackers from accessing sensitive information and critical file. Protect in-transit data with an SSL certificate today.

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