We’ve got security for our computers and smartphones and now NortonLifeLock has released protection for gamers and their online accounts so they can stay secure without compromising performance.
Online gaming has enjoyed a huge surge during the global pandemic with more than 2.7 billion gamers competing online globally.
That’s a huge target for cyber criminals and they have certainly taken aim.
A recent survey commissioned by NortonLifeLock and conducted by Harris Poll among 3,000 Australian gamers found 72 per cent worried gaming was becoming less secure.
A further 35 per cent globally have revealed they’ve had a gaming account hacked with one in 10 having their account hacked more than once.
“It’s never been more critical for gamers to have strong security in place and build good safety habits to protect themselves,” said Mark Gorrie, Senior Director at NortonLifeLock.
“With many of us being forced to socially isolate in 2020, there was an increase of gaming in Australia.
“As a result, gaming has become a more integral part of the way in which we communicate and interact with friends.
“This has meant gaming accounts and the personal information tied to them have been a more lucrative target for cybercriminals.
“Norton 360 for Gamers is part of our vision to protect and empower people to live their digital lives. We want gamers to continue enjoying the gaming world, safe in the knowledge they have a Cyber Safety plan in place to help stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals.”
Whether you’re a hardcore or casual gamer, the risks are still the same with cyber criminals on the hunt for personal information and digital assets.
Hackers are also targeting gamers with phishing attacks and identify theft.
A gamer’s account contains a lot of valuable information including their name, birth year, address, email, mobile number and payment information which could all add up to stealing an identity.
Gamer tags have been ransacked in the past and sold on the Dark Web which immediately jeapordises the gamer’s other accounts including banking and social media which puts them at a higher risk of account takeovers and fraud.
Norton 360 for Gamers includes multi-layered protection which can monitor up to 10 gamer tags and send notifications if their details are found on the Dark Web.
To date, NortonLifeLock has issued more than 60,000 notifications for virtual items and personally identifiable information that are bought and sold on the Dark Web.
“Gamers pour their passion, time and money into their gaming PCs and accounts, but they’re notoriously apprehensive about security because they just don’t want to be interrupted or experience slowness, or they may think the free stuff is good enough,” said Bob Shaker, Head of Gaming at NortonLifeLock.
“Many of us at NortonLifeLock are gamers ourselves, and we wanted to reimagine how we approach security and develop features tailored to gamers’ needs, like limiting notifications that could interrupt a game and adding gamer tag monitoring among the personal information we look out for on the Dark Web.
“We are excited to now offer Norton 360 for Gamers globally to help keep PC Gamers safe.”
In addition to Dark Web Monitoring, key Norton 360 for Gamers features include:
– Secure VPN: Browse anonymously and securely by masking your IP address with a no-log VPN to help protect against DDOS attacks, doxxing and SWATing.
– Notification Optimisation: We’ll only notify you if your PC is under attack, your protection is at risk, or you aren’t using a feature you’re entitled to use—and give you control over product reminders.
– Full-Screen Mode Detection: Device security for PCs that detects when you’re using full-screen mode, and silences all but critical security alerts.
– PC SafeCam: Helps protect against potential stream bans and embarrassment with alerts on attempts to access your webcam so you can block them.
Norton 360 for Gamers is available now for the special discounted priced of $89.99 (usually $149.99) for 12 months for protection for up to three PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.