The future for gaming data breaches

We have previously discussed the issues surrounding gaming data breaches, and have been asked for help and representation for cases of this nature.

The market for online gaming is massive, and data will be exchanged across the world as part of activities players are engaged in. There will be a lot of accounts that contain a great deal of personal data, and there will also be financial information stored for processing payments.

There’s also a huge “black market” for hijacked accounts as well. There are the players whose accounts they have spent time and money on being stolen, and there are those who are prepared to pay for built-up accounts. This leaves serious questions over the future of gaming and how they may be affected by data breaches.

Huge risks of gaming data breaches

There are huge risks for gaming data breaches taking place. Given how monetised the sector is nowadays, there are easy ways that cybercriminals can make money.

We must remember that a lot of the people playing these games are younger and may be more vulnerable to falling victim to cyberattacks. They can be easier to target due to naivety, and may fall victim to ransomware and phishing expeditions as well.

There are so many accounts out there (millions, in fact), and any security lapse or glitch could lead to a wealth of data being misused and exposed. There was a recent issue with the FIFA 20 Global Series where users were being asked to verify account details, but the data shown in some cases was reportedly for other players. It’s understood over 1,000 players may have been affected by that particular issue, but this kind of incident on a wider scale could be catastrophic.

Claiming compensation

In some cases, gaming data breaches can lead to victims being able to make a claim for compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis with us.

If you’ve fallen victim to a cyber attacker directly, it may be difficult to pursue a case unless there’s any blame on a company that’s involved (like a platform or a game developer). There would have to be some negligence on their part in order to build a case, otherwise you may simply end up chasing down a criminal for compensation which is incredibly difficult to do.

If data is exposed because a game developer or a platform has been successfully hit with a cyberattack, that’s a different matter. You may then be able to pursue a successful claim for compensation from them for any distress caused by the loss of control of your information, and also for any financial losses suffered as well. The same can apply for leaks and misuse of data as well.

Claiming for financial losses

As well as being able to claim for the distress that can be caused by gaming data breaches, you may also be able to claim for any financial losses as well.

This could be money stolen directly from accounts, or it could be for the loss in value of any online property that you had amassed. Where the loss is related to the breach itself, we should be able to recover these kinds of losses and expenses.

You don’t have to have suffered an actual financial loss to be able to claim. Data breach compensation pay-outs can be based solely on the distress caused by the loss of control of information alone. Where there is a loss, you could claim for both elements.

For free, no-obligation advice, you can contact our team today for assistance.

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