AVG (AU\/NZ) Provides Some Tips on Staying Safe While Playing Games<\/p>\n
Melbourne and Amsterdam, 24 February 2011. Whether you\u2019re running a mafia empire, nightclub, farm, city or zoo, you can count yourself one of the growing number of people playing what\u2019s known as a social game. Social gaming is changing the way millions of people use the Internet by luring in those who would not normally consider themselves a \u201cgamer\u201d. This can be seen from the huge number of people playing a whole variety of games: Farmville has over 51 million players, Mafia Wars has 15 million, Zoo World 6 million and CityVille a whopping 96 million and the list goes on. These four games alone have the same \u2018population\u2019 as the UK, France and Spain combined (168 million people)1.<\/p>\n
Free of the stigma of \u2018hardcore\u2019 games, social games tend to be browser-based, free to play games built into social networks such as Facebook. Although their topics vary dramatically, they all have a social premise \u2014 you play with and against your friends and family. This social aspect gives these easy-to-pick-up games a real multiplayer experience different for each and every person.<\/p>\n
Lloyd Borrett, Security Evangelist for AVG (AU\/NZ) Pty Ltd, says: \u201cSocial gaming is now so big that it\u2019s estimated that they take up 10% of online time of the average Internet user. Facebook is no longer simply a social network for connecting friends but the world\u2019s largest gaming platform \u2014 more than half of Facebook\u2019s 500 million users are playing social games on a regular basis!\u201d<\/p>\n
Evidence that social gaming is now serious business was given when Disney bought leading social game developers Playdom in June last year for in excess of US$750 million.<\/p>\n
Borrett continues, \u201cSadly, when there\u2019s serious money to be made, nefarious guests are never far behind. The explosion of social gaming is a golden opportunity for cyber criminals to pull the wool over your eyes. Why would they do that? You don\u2019t enter your credit card details into a free game do you? Perhaps not, but installing a fake game grants them access to your personal information; something which has obvious consequences.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo here are a few tips for staying safe while growing your crops or running your zoo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maker\u2019s mark \u2013 Check who is behind the game you want to download to ensure it\u2019s a legitimate title from a real company you can trust.<\/p>\n
Be a cynic \u2013 Just because you receive a message saying that some of your friends are playing a certain game doesn\u2019t guarantee its safety.<\/p>\n
Faking it \u2013 If you\u2019re in any doubt about the legitimacy of a game you\u2019re installing, use fake details in the registration process. This isn\u2019t a failsafe, but should help keep your real information private.<\/p>\n
Double check \u2013 When you install the game, double check the options to see what exactly you\u2019re granting permission for. Are you surrendering all your information? Are you allowing it to make wall posts on your behalf?<\/p>\n
Background programs \u2013- Be sure not to start logging into your online bank or other sensitive services while using an untrustworthy game; it could be logging your details.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t cross-over to the dark side \u2013 Be very cautious of enticing offers of free or \u2018exclusive\u2019 in-game items (coins, chips, gifts, etc.); overblown claims of ultra-rare items, special access to exclusive \u2018secret\u2019 content; or even hacks, bots and cheat programs offering you an unfair gaming advantage. These offers can come from: tweets (beware of tiny urls), emails, fan pages, forum messages, or chat rooms. They are typical attempts by others to steal your account login name and password, or other personal information.<\/p>\n
Stay up to date \u2013 Make sure that your anti-virus program is kept up to date at all times. This will give you the best possible protection in case you do come a cropper to some Internet baddies.<\/p>\n
Borrett says, \u201cBecause social network games require players to have lots of friends and supporters to play the same game in order to attain higher scores, people tend to accept new \u2018friends\u2019 fairly easily. Hackers often create false profiles, complete with information and photos, to trick people into accepting them into their social network. Most people allow anyone who is part of their network to view all their recent activities, so you can see what a potential online security minefield this is.\u201d<\/p>\n
AVG (AU\/NZ) has a comprehensive range of security tips on its web site at http:\/\/www.avg.com.au\/resources\/security-tips\/. For video tips from AVG (AU\/NZ), see http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/avgaunz.<\/p>\n
Keep in touch with AVG<\/p>\n
For breaking news, follow AVG (AU\/NZ) on Twitter at www.twitter.com\/avgau<\/p>\n
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AVG (AU\/NZ) Provides Some Tips on Staying Safe While Playing Games Melbourne and Amsterdam, 24 February 2011. Whether you\u2019re running a mafia empire, nightclub, farm, city or zoo, you can count yourself one of the growing number of people playing what\u2019s known as a social game. Social gaming is changing the way millions of people<\/p>\n