Kaspersky Labs recently released a security report/press release stating that cyber-attacks on PC gamers have been on the rise of late, but then bizarrely dragged the PS4 and Xbox One into the picture for no apparent reason.
In what can only be seen as an attempt to cash in on the hype surrounding the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One around the world, the security firm’s latest reports begins:
“Just days after the launch of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, Kaspersky Lab experts have discovered that PC gamers across Europe were hit by a massive number of attacks in 2013.”
The report doesn’t state anywhere that the consoles themselves had anything to do with the increase in attacks on PC gamers nor does it point out any security vulnerability in either the PS4 or Xbox One, but still warns of security threats to both systems.
“We’ve just seen two of the biggest console launches ever, with the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. That means there will be more gamers for criminals to target, especially as the Sony and Microsoft machines increasingly use the Internet for a fuller gaming experience. And don’t forget the PC, still the most popular gaming platform and cyber crooks’ favourite target,” says David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
As for India-specific details, Kaspersky says India ranks fourth highest in the world in terms of the number of attacks faced by gamers, behind Russia, Vietnam and China.
Kaspersky reports that there are 4.6 million pieces of malware targeting gamers specifically. Of the 11.7 million attacks on gamers in 2013, it says 2,07,245 attempts were on Indian gamers.