One in ten gamers have had their ID stolen

$347bn could potentially be at risk

Over a tenth of gamers (12%, ~179 million globally) have had their ID stolen – which could be worth as much as $347bn globally. This is according to global research by Kaspersky, which has also provided simple tips to help avoid this and other issues associated with gaming.

This new research was commissioned by Kaspersky and conducted by Savanta in November 2020, to look at the state of global gaming in 2020. According to the 5,031 gamers surveyed across 17 countries, nearly a fifth (19%) have also been bullied while playing. This worrying trend is even more prevalent in Russia (44%) Saudi Arabia (27%), Turkey (28%) and the US (27%).

Worse still, a third (33%) gamers have suffered at the hands of cheaters. All of these combined cause stress and anxiety in 31% of them. This is disappointing as stress relief is the very thing the majority of them (62%) go to gaming to remove, as well as thrills (62%), and then friendship (46%).

Marina Titova, Head of Consumer Product Marketing at Kaspersky, said, “When gaming, it’s important to consider from the outset, how you can best avoid or handle bullies, cheats and hackers. Acting on this early means you can put many of those fears to the side and focus on enjoying the game.”

Kaspersky offers seven ways to help be as safe as possible while gaming online:

1. Buy from official sourcesAlways shop for PC games either on well-known platforms like Steam and GOG or on official developer sites.
2. Save smartOfficial stores often provide amazing discounts or even free games. But many e-mail offers can be a scam – go to the developer’s or store’s website to see if the discount is mentioned there – if not, it’s not real.
3. Check the return policyBefore buying, know the store’s rules for returning a game you don’t like or that doesn’t work on your computer.
4. Use a dedicated card for online shoppingInstead of linking a card that has all your savings, get a debit card for online shopping and top it up as needed. That way, should intruders break in to a site you use, they won’t get much.
5. Use a secure connectionWe recommend logging in to online stores only from home – having properly secured your home network and using products like Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection.
6. Protect your accountsProtect your account on Steam and Battle.net, and on any social network profiles you use to sign in to gaming stores (but don’t use social network accounts to log in elsewhere if you can help it).
7. Protect your devicesThe computers, smartphones, and tablets you use for gaming also need protection. A reliable solution like Kaspersky Security Cloud blocks fraudulent websites and malware, provides alerts about security issues, and, contrary to popular misconception, does not spoil gameplay. The Gaming Mode you’ll find in modern security solutions turns on automatically when you play in full-screen mode.