DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks involve sending junk traffic to a server or computer, overloading it, and making it slow down. Since only one computer is unlikely to have the required capacity, attackers use botnets to overwhelm a system. Botnets consist of a zombie army of malware-infected smart TVs, fridges, webcams, or other IoT devices.
As you can imagine, an attack of this magnitude takes a lot of effort to design and deploy. So, what motivates attackers to go to such great lengths to engage in cybercrime? Some people do it to cause disruptions and gain unfair advantages, especially during tournaments, as they cost other players victory.
Others do it to put players’ accounts at risk of being compromised through hacking, resulting in theft of personal information and account selling. Oftentimes, this wave of attacks also seeks to block customer traffic until the sites pay extortionists’ demands to stop the attack. The bad news is that it affects all gaming sectors, including video games and Game sites.
DDoS Attackers Targeting Online Game Sites
The online gaming industry is a lucrative target for cybercriminals, mainly due to the large amounts of funds and personal information they process. Usually, sports betting sites are targeted by attackers in the days before major sporting events such as the Super Bowl or World Cup. Some sites that have been affected by this attack include Unibet, Betfair, Winamax, and TonyBet.
DDoS threats often target gaming too, with the most notable example being the attack on PokerStars in 2022. In what is considered as one of the worst outages in recent history, the site experienced an attack lasting almost 24 hours, causing the operator to cancel all of its tournaments. Luckily, the company had strong security systems in place, so players’ funds were safe, and operations continued normally after the company successfully repelled the attack.
As a result, online casinos have started using up-to-date security protocols such as encryption and multi-factor authentication to help maintain safety. They also invest in DDoS mitigation solutions like zero trust segmentation which creates isolated network segments, preventing the spread of malware. Even if the attacker bypasses all these measures, most platforms have well-prepared incident response plans to minimize the impact of such attacks.
Video Games Are Also At Risk
Attacks on video games have been happening for the longest time, with the first major one taking place in 2014 against Xbox and PlayStation. It was led by a group of hackers called Lizard Squad, whose sole aim was to gain fame as the ‘kings’ of DDoS attacks. As a result of this, thousands of users were denied access to games like League of Legends, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Sims 4.
But even after the damage that was caused by this attack was resolved, video game companies have continued to be a prime target. A more recent example is when Activision Blizzard’s servers were attacked in 2023, making it impossible for players to play some of its hits, including Diablo IV and World of Warcraft. The attack lasted for 10 hours, and unlike the previous case, Blizzard has yet to identify the hackers behind the attack and no one has come forward to claim responsibility.
While most of the time DDoS attacks against video game providers are aimed at angering gamers and causing frustration, some have resulted in much bigger losses. The attack in 2014, for example, cost the providers over $30,000 for Amazon cloud hosting service charges. In an effort to avoid this attack and protect their users, big companies like Xbox and PlayStation have been forced to upgrade their security just like online Game.
Can DDoS Gaming Attacks Be Avoided?
Most of the time, you can easily avoid DDoS attacks, but it depends on whether you’re protecting yourself or an entire network. From a gaming company’s perspective, the best way to go about this is to use a reputable hosting provider with a reliable firewall. Active monitoring is also crucial, as it allows you to detect and respond to attacks early enough to minimize the damage.
From a personal perspective, the first step to avoiding DDoS attacks is to educate yourself on cybersecurity matters. That will help you steer clear of risky habits like downloading files from shady sites as some contain malware that enables attackers to locate your IP address. You should also use anti-malware software like McAfee, Avast, and Kaspersky since they offer excellent malware protection for all kinds of devices, from desktops to laptops and smartphones.
Using VPNs while gaming also helps as they hide your real IP address by routing your connection through their servers. Reputable VPNs also offer end-to-end encryption and have a kill switch that disconnects your device from the internet when traffic isn’t routed through a VPN server. Lastly, if you think you’re a victim of a DDoS attack, unplug your router and ask your ISP to provide you with a different IP address so the attacker doesn’t have any way of reaching you.