07
HOW CYBERCRIMINALS TARGET ESPORTS cybercriminals will predictably turn up .
“ Large cash prizes can motivate unscrupulous players to look for an unfair advantage over other players , which in turn creates a market for game cheats in the underground . These competitions also bring out underground entities looking to take advantage of esports for political , financial , or ideological reasons .”
Trend Micro said these attacks can lead to identity theft , financial loss and reputational damage to business advertisers and sponsors . Major brands including Coca-Cola , Intel , Nissan , ESPN , ABC , Disney , Red Bull and Mercedes-Benz have all been involved with esports .
According to Trend Micro , these cybercriminals can disrupt the industry in a number of ways ( see boxout , right ).
Professionals & players
• Ransomware : Cybercriminals using malware to lock game profiles , accounts or save data and demanding a ransom for their return .
• Cheating software : The design and distribution of aimbots , wallhacks and other programs designed to illegally alter the game and enhance player performance .
• Boosted accounts : Essentially using a higher-skilled player to play under a different user identity . This allows the ‘ real ’ user to participate in tournaments and competitions outside their skill level . Many also use cheating software to enhance their performance whilst competing .
• Data breaches : Credit card details , social security info , etc , is stolen from individual accounts .
Game companies & platforms
• Data breaches : Data pertaining to player accounts and / or private information is stolen from company databases . It is then resold or used for nefarious purposes , resulting often in irreconcilable reputation damage .
Tournaments & events
• DDoS attacks : These can cause severe performance issues and connectivity problems , leading to matches being cancelled and reputational damage .
In most of these cases , attacks can cost companies millions in financial losses and cause severe damage to reputation and trust . According to a report from IBM , data breaches can cost companies around US $ 4.4m on average .
March 2022