On the 13th, global cybersecurity company Kaspersky reported through a new publication by its Digital Footprint Intelligence (DFI) team that gaming-related cyber threats are increasing in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the study, 11 million game account credentials were leaked in 2024, and 5.7 million Steam accounts were hacked due to infostealer malware. Accounts related to major global game platforms, including Epic Games Store, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, GOG, and EA app, also saw 6.2 million leaks.
The top three countries in the Asia-Pacific region with the highest number of leaks are Thailand (about 163,000 cases), the Philippines (about 93,000 cases), and Vietnam (about 88,000 cases). In contrast, China (about 19,000 cases), Sri Lanka (about 11,000 cases), and Singapore (about 4,000 cases) recorded the lowest figures.
Kaspersky noted that the Asia-Pacific region is at the center of the global gaming market, where more than half of the world's gamers reside, and it is experiencing a surge in cyber threats targeting account theft due to rapid digital adoption, high mobile penetration rates, and demand from younger demographics.
Polina Tretyak, a Kaspersky DFI analyst, said, "Cybercriminals often leak stolen credentials months or even years later, so the actual scale of damage may be much greater," and noted, "Avoiding password reuse and regularly changing passwords can help reduce the risk."
Lee Hyo-eun, Kaspersky's country manager for Korea, stated, "As the gaming industry grows, cyber threats are also evolving," adding, "Malware disguised as popular game plugins or tools can penetrate corporate networks, so caution is needed."