Around 60 percent of Germans regularly “play” video games such as Fortnite, Minecraft or FIFA. What used to be the gaming PC is now the smartphone for many gamers: 21 percent of the gamers surveyed play on the go. The computer follows with around 17 percent and games consoles come in third place with just over 15 percent.
Fair play is not always the order of the day on the Internet: almost 23 percent of the gamers surveyed had already had bad experiences in the form of bullying, fake profiles or hate comments. The high level of security awareness is pleasing: one in four protects their gaming accounts using two-factor authentication. This is part of the results of a representative survey conducted by ESET among 1,000 Internet users in the run-up to gamescom.
“Gaming is no longer a fringe phenomenon and has long since established itself as a leisure activity across age groups. Our current study shows that fair play is not the order of the day here. Cybercriminals also have an eye on potential financial gains and are active in the gaming community. They try to target gamers specifically with spam and phishing, but also with fake apps for popular games. Whether it’s an Android tablet or smartphone, but of course also a gaming PC, a security solution should now be part of the basic equipment to protect personal data and accounts from criminals.”
ESET technology expert Michael Schröder
Smartphone is the most popular among gamers
Gaming has long since developed into a public sport. Around 60 percent of Germans play regularly in their free time. 21.3 percent of respondents use smartphones as a gaming platform, closely followed by PCs (17.1 percent) and games consoles (15.4 percent). In the 18 to 39 age group, almost 80 percent of respondents gamble. Games consoles (28.3 percent) and smartphones (30.3 percent) dominate as their preferred devices. Only after the age of 50 does the group of non-gamers drop to around 50 percent.
One in three 18 to 39 year olds have had bad experiences
Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they had had bad experiences with online gaming. The largest subgroup, at 9.2 percent, is the group of victims of hate comments. This is followed by those affected by cyberbullying and fake profiles, each with 7.5 percent. 7.3 percent of study participants reported unwanted in-app purchases. Those most affected by this question are 18 to 39 year olds at over 38 percent. Here, most of those surveyed were victims of hate comments (16.2 percent).
Security awareness increases
37.7 percent of gamers surveyed rely on two-factor authentication (2FA) to provide additional security for their game accounts. 2FA is basically nothing more than a security procedure in which a user provides two different characteristics to identify themselves. In addition to the password, another security component must be entered when logging in, for example a PIN code. This can be generated using a special app or sent via SMS. The age group between 18 and 39 years old once again stands out in the survey. Here, more than half of those surveyed (53.3 percent) rely on 2FA. The 60+ generation has some catching up to do here, with only 17 percent using this method.
Account theft is not uncommon
One in four in the age group between 18 and 29 and one in five between 30 and 39 years of age have had their gaming account stolen. Across all age groups, only 14.2 percent had already suffered the loss of their gaming account.
Tips for safe gaming
– Obtain from safe sources: Games should only be downloaded from official sources. These include the smartphone manufacturers' app stores or the large software shops that work with the developers. If the origin is unknown or it could be an illegal download: stay away!
– Protect your account: An account with a game or platform should only be created if the provider treats players’ personal information confidentially. . Credit card information in particular should not be given out carelessly. Experts recommend using two-factor authentication whenever possible. If the account data falls into the wrong hands, criminals cannot misuse it.
– Secure in-app purchases: Many games offer digital enhancements that are not included in the original purchase price. To prevent gamers from accidentally falling into a cost trap, they should secure purchases within apps with a password. This also prevents unintentional purchases being made, for example by children. This can unintentionally lead to high costs.
– Regular updates: Security gaps are a major threat, especially when it comes to computers. Therefore, you should regularly update the operating system and installed software. This way you can reliably protect yourself from vulnerabilities.
– Install a security solution: A security solution is also mandatory for gamers. Professional providers offer a special gaming mode that ensures high performance and maximum security.
About the survey
For the representative survey on gaming, ESET surveyed 1,000 Internet users of different ages in August 2022. The online survey was carried out by the market research institute Omniquest on behalf of the European IT security company.
Source: PT/ESET Deutschland GmbH
Also interesting:
89 percent of 10 to 18 year olds play video and computer games.
The average daily playing time is 149 minutes. – Video and computer games: Children and young people play games for over 2 hours a day
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