Online Gambling Information
Online games aren’t new. Consumers have been playing them since as early as 1960. However, the market is evolving—games that used to require the computing power of dedicated desktops can now be powered by smartphones, and online gaming participation has skyrocketed. This unfortunately means that the dangers of online gaming have evolved as well. We’ve examined the top threats that parents need to know about to keep their kids safe while gaming online.
Online Bullying andHarassment
Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, and span many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy games, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG). Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slots—in a casino, at the track, or online—a gambling problem can strain your relationships, interfere with work, and lead to financial disaster. You may even do things you never thought you would, like running up. Online Gambling Lots0Cash.com is an online gambling informational website that has been in business for more than a decade, which makes it one of the most established online resources for finding information about virtually all aspects of the iGaming industry.
A recent study shows that 65%of players who participate in online gaming have been harassed; a statisticthat does not bode well for underage gamers. Your first instinct may be to tryto prevent your child from participating in online gaming altogether, but thismay cause them to sneak playing time without your knowledge. A stronger choicewould be to talk with your kids and prepare them for the types of negativebehavior they may experience online, and to make sure they know they can cometo you if they are being harassed. It’s also important to explain the impactthat online bullying can have on others, and to set firm consequences if youcatch your child participating in harassment or abusive language. Regulatingthe use of headsets can help prevent both your child’s exposure to andparticipation in online harassment.
Two types of harassment specific to online experiences go astep beyond what you would expect from online bullying: doxxing and swatting.Doxxing is when one or more online participants seek personal, identifyinginformation on a particular user for blackmail or intimidation purposes.Doxxing can often lead to the release of real names, phone numbers, homeaddresses, employer information, and more. Swatting is a form of harassmentthat uses doxxing techniques to create an actual, tangible threat. A harasserwill call in a threat to a doxxed user’s local law enforcement, often claimingthere is a kidnapping or hostage situation at the victim’s address. This may bringa large SWAT response unit to descend upon the address.
Keeping an open line of communication about your kid’s gaming experiences is critical. Swatting can happen over seemingly innocuous events. One of the most notorious examples followed a dispute over a $1.50 bet in “Call of Duty: WWII.”
Pro tip: one is only vulnerable to doxxing and swatting if a harasser can link identifying information back to the targeted gamer. Educating your kids on digital privacy best practices is one of the strongest security measures you can take against these forms of online harassment.
Viruses and Malware
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As with almost every digital experience, you’ll findspecific cybersecurity threats associated with the online gaming landscape. Weasked Tyler Moffitt, Webroot security analyst, for his thoughts on the malwarethreats associated with online gaming.
“The thing kids should really watch out for with games isthe temptation to cheat,” explains Moffit. “In popular games like Fortnite andPUBG, ‘aimbots’ are very common, as they allow the player to getheadshots they normally wouldn’t be able to make. However, many of the aimbotsthat kids download from forums are packed with malware—usually ransomware or info-stealing Trojans. What’sworse: a lot of young gamers also don’t run antivirus because they think itwill make the game slower.”
The bottom line: cheating at online games isn’t justethically icky, it makes you a proven target for hackers. Make sure your kidsknow the real cost of “free” cheats.
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Phishing Scams andAccount Takeovers
Online Gambling Information
Where there’s money, there are scammers.With more than 1 billion gamersactively spending money not just on games, but in games, it’s nosurprise that phishing scams have become commonplace in gaming communities. Oneof the most prevalent phishing tactics in gaming: account takeovers are oftenprompted by a risky link click on a gaming forum, or a compromised accountsending out phishing links to other users. Once the hacker has control of theaccount, they can run up fraudulent charges to any attached credit cards or, insome cases, sell the compromised account (particularly if it contains valuableitems or character skins). Young gamers are especially at risk for these hacks.In these cases, chances are that any credit cards attached to gaming accounts belongto you, not your kids, so young gamers aren’t going to notice who’s spendingyour hard-earned funds.
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Keeping Your KidsSafe
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You’ll find plenty of tools to help your kids stay securewhile gaming. Reliable antivirus software installed and up-to-date onall of your household smart devices can protect your family from malicioussoftware. Additionally, wrapping your household web traffic in the secureencryption of a trusted VPN could reduce doxxing potential.But your kids will only find true security through digital literacy. Startconversations with them not just about online bullying, but about recognizingcybersecurity threats and phishing scams. If you’re having a hard timeconnecting with them over the threat, remind them that it’s not just yourwallet on the line. Account takeovers are now all too common, and no kid wantsto see their Fortnite skins sold for a stranger’s profit. Also, always be sureto exercise caution in giving out information on the internet. Even small,seemingly irrelevant pieces of information could be used to pull up Facebook orother user account pages to grab even more personal data.
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To keep your kids educated about online gaming risks, it’simportant to educate yourself as well. Have a question we didn’t cover here?Ask the Webrootcommunity.