Sign up with GooglePopular online games from today could be the next source of illegal profit and organized crime, warns Microsoft.
On Monday, Microsoft issued a serious warning for game developers and publishers about the possibility of becoming the next target for hackers.
Microsoft pointed mostly at our beloved World of Warcraft, the massive multiplayer online role playing game that has gathered so many fans. The “inside-economy” of World of Warcraft is based on a multitude of hard-earned gold or gem-endowed artifacts and items, which can either be upgraded in return for some gold or can be purchased. This helps players advance during the game and make their character evolve.
But this could also prove a fruitful target for hackers, according to Microsoft. An infected machine which stores the account information about a WoW character could be used to steal data and eventually set up a real-time commerce with virtual stolen items.
"Those of you who are working on massively multiplayer online games, organized crime is already looking at you," said Dave Weinstein, a Microsoft security development engineer at the company's Gamefest video game development conference.
Online game accounts are already on sale in the black market next to stolen credit card accounts, fraudulent passports, fake work papers and other illegal items gathered by identity theft.
Some World of Worcraft, Lineage or StarCraft are worth even 10,000 dollars.
"For a lot of the customers out there, there is more store value on their MMO characters than there is on the credit card with which they pay for the account," said Weinstein.
"The police are really good at understanding someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of money. It's a lot harder to get them to buy into 'someone stole my magic sword."'
http://www.playfuls.com/news_03959_World_of_Warcraft_the_Next_Target_for_Organized_Crime.html
On Monday, Microsoft issued a serious warning for game developers and publishers about the possibility of becoming the next target for hackers.
Microsoft pointed mostly at our beloved World of Warcraft, the massive multiplayer online role playing game that has gathered so many fans. The “inside-economy” of World of Warcraft is based on a multitude of hard-earned gold or gem-endowed artifacts and items, which can either be upgraded in return for some gold or can be purchased. This helps players advance during the game and make their character evolve.
But this could also prove a fruitful target for hackers, according to Microsoft. An infected machine which stores the account information about a WoW character could be used to steal data and eventually set up a real-time commerce with virtual stolen items.
"Those of you who are working on massively multiplayer online games, organized crime is already looking at you," said Dave Weinstein, a Microsoft security development engineer at the company's Gamefest video game development conference.
Online game accounts are already on sale in the black market next to stolen credit card accounts, fraudulent passports, fake work papers and other illegal items gathered by identity theft.
Some World of Worcraft, Lineage or StarCraft are worth even 10,000 dollars.
"For a lot of the customers out there, there is more store value on their MMO characters than there is on the credit card with which they pay for the account," said Weinstein.
"The police are really good at understanding someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of money. It's a lot harder to get them to buy into 'someone stole my magic sword."'
http://www.playfuls.com/news_03959_World_of_Warcraft_the_Next_Target_for_Organized_Crime.html