Gaming's Dark Side: Protecting Young Players from Cybercrime
The online gaming landscape has transformed dramatically over the past few decades, becoming more engaging and appealing, even to young children as young as three. However, this evolution also brings risks, with cybercrime being a significant concern for parents and gaming platforms alike.
A study by Lloyds Bank revealed that 36% of parents worry about their children's financial safety while gaming. Children can easily make payments by using their parents' email addresses and passwords, leading to identity theft (67%) and hacking (61%) being the most common frauds encountered by young gamers. To tackle this, companies like GOG.com and Splashtop have introduced two-factor authentication (2FA) and digital identity verification. These measures add extra security layers beyond passwords, reducing unauthorized account access and fraud risk. Even if passwords are compromised, 2FA requires a second verification factor, such as a code from a mobile app or email, to prevent fraudulent activities. Implementing secure identity verification can also simplify the verification and on-boarding process for gaming platforms. Online gaming platforms can monitor and authorize transactions via facial recognition, passive liveness detection, or computer vision. Using biometric templates based on facial recognition can substantially reduce online fraud and identity theft. Moreover, implementing two-step authentication using digital identity verification can minimize interactions between young gamers and scammers. The number of online gamers has increased by 4.6 million since 2019, highlighting the need for robust security measures in the gaming industry.
As online gaming continues to grow in popularity, especially among young children, it is crucial for gaming platforms to prioritize security. By implementing measures such as two-factor authentication and digital identity verification, they can protect young gamers and their families from cybercrime, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable gaming experience.
