Cybersecurity threats to gamers are more dangerous than ever. A new Trojan, dubbed BloodyStealer, is also one of the dangers that can make you shiver. It is named for its ability to steal gaming accounts and incite violence against those who play certain games.
BloodyStealer has emerged on underground forums and continues growing in popularity, with cybercriminals of all sorts looking into compromised data as they sell gift card frauds throughout black markets worldwide.
Experts say that this new Trojan can be used to compromise gamer accounts. It includes games like Fortnite, Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA Origin, popular among gamers. Overall, the threat is capable of extracting cookies, passwords, screenshots, log-in memory, etc.
What Is BloodyStealer Malware?
BloodyStealer has been lurking around the European, Latin American, and Asia Pacific regions for a while now. The malware is likely to be the most dangerous to gamers looking for ways to download cracked versions of popular games.
Moreover, if BloodyStealer makes itself at home on one computer or several devices in someone’s household, it can access all sorts of personal information. Information can include banking details and passwords from other services like Instagram, Gmail, Facebook, etc., so be careful.
Furthermore, scammers want to use your gaming data for several reasons. One such reason is selling these accounts on black markets since they can earn a fair bit from it. Apart from this, they also sell credit card information and passwords on forums which helps them make even more money.
How Does it Steal Your Data?
When the user runs an executable file, they will be sent to a webpage that shows them what games they have installed on their PC. This page also asks the users for their credentials to load all of their saved games.
After entering authentication details, the victims are presented with several offers before continuing with anything else. One such suggestion is usually signing up for a service that will clear all the junk files on their PC.
Another offer is about installing an update for their games. These updates are distributed by other companies but also act as additional malware installation tools. Once the gamer downloads this fake update, they are sent to the installer of the malware package itself.
When this happens, gamers usually lose access to all their accounts since these are compromised already. Moreover, it starts up every time they turn on their device and visit popular gaming platforms like Steam or Origin, etc. Thus, all your data gets directly transferred to these cybercriminals.
So How to Protect Your Data?
To make sure you are not a victim of this Trojan, make sure to follow all recommended prevention steps.
1. Avoid downloading unknown software. It is always better to download your software from official websites instead of using dubious sites or email attachments.
2. Avoid clicking on links sent via email. If you receive an email from an unexpected source, it would be wise to check the sender’s details before opening any attachments or clicking on links.
3. Enable Two-factor authentication. This secures your data by requiring you to verify yourself (identity and ownership of the account) via a second step like entering a unique code which will be sent to your phone number or email.
4. Don’t make in-app purchases. This reduces your chances of being a victim by staying away from any apps that ask for your credit card details.
5. Check permissions before installing software. If an app requires more than what you would expect as an average user, it might be a problem. The best thing to do is research the app online and read reviews about it to see what others say.
6. Change passwords regularly. Changing passwords often prevents hackers from accessing your data since they will move onto another target and stop bothering you. This also prevents them from using your current password via brute force or rainbow table attacks which can speed up access to weak or reused passwords.
7. Antivirus. Keep an updated antivirus installed with real-time protection enabled. This will protect your computer against known malware threats that are expanding daily.
8. Use a VPN. A PC VPN can help you evade certain threats by blocking access to potentially dangerous websites. Usually, a VPN is used to change your IP address which gets displayed whenever you perform actions online. This helps protect your privacy and conceals your approximate location when browsing. Additionally, a VPN offers protection against DDoS attacks and can help minimize ping when game servers are far away from you.
Conclusion
Game hacking has been around for over a decade now, but new Trojan viruses target gamers daily. Hackers see your user data as money on the black market, and they will do anything to get their hands on it. So, if you don’t want your account nor credit card details stolen, then play safe.