When it comes to entertainment, cybersecurity is usually an important topic—even if these practices are kept behind closed doors. That’s because the vast majority of content today is digital, which means there are complex needs that take place in terms of storage, transfer, payments, and much more.
When it comes to gaming, in particular, cybersecurity has become an even more important topic. That’s because gaming includes many different concerns, from secure payment portals for those buying games to preventing cheating at major eSports events to maintaining the integrity of streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s focus on one example. A online slots game like Sweet Bonanza, which is one of the most popular titles available at online casinos, might seem very straightforward. Players deposit funds into their accounts, set their spending, then spin the digital wheel for an exciting gaming session.
But behind it all are complex programs that ensure the privacy of personal and financial data, maintain casino licensing and similar regulations, maintain the website’s SSL, and prevent threats like hacking. It’s a lot just to keep Sweet Bonanza players safe—but it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to eSports security.
Protecting the Business
First and foremost, the majority of security efforts in eSports focus on protecting teams and organizations. The larger the number of eSports teams and players that belong to a single organization, like Team Liquid or G2 Esports, the more advanced and vast security measures are.
To protect players and information, a company will develop and implement its own security policy. This is important because it will inform every member about the protocol should there be a breach—whether a high-level executive or a new team that’s just formed.
Second, eSports organizations will rely on residential proxy servers that let them use one or more unique IPs. This protects each device’s actual IP address from being discoverable—and potentially compromised. This is by far the most robust approach to preventing hacking or any other type of illegal activity.
Here are a few other points that cyber security companies in eSports consider:
- Digital rights management
- Watermarking content
- Code and key shields
- Specialized protection for mobile apps
A Focus on Integrity
Another critical focus of cybersecurity companies within eSports is maintaining the integrity of the competition. Just like some security companies are tasked with protecting eSports organizations and teams from threats, other companies will specialize in finding cheats that involve ‘aimbots’, ‘triggerbots’, and lag switches, to name a few.
Players and teams are able to use these chats by modifying a game’s code or software or else interfering with a packet. Back in 2018, one of eSports most competitive FPS gamers, Forsaken, was caught cheating live at a major tournament. It marked one of the most high-level and problematic risks to the industry—something that will only become more important now that sportsbooks have started to offer lines on eSports matches.
An Emphasis on Data
So far, we’ve outlined two of the most important roles of cybersecurity in eSports. First, to protect teams and organizations from hacking. Second, to protect the integrity of eSports competitions. Lastly, teams and organizations can also rely on cybersecurity to help them gather data.
Because security programs are so deeply embedded within a company’s infrastructure, these programs are also able to create data reports that allow executives to study their team’s readiness. This is almost exactly how traditional sports teams use data to improve their team’s performance on a micro-level. Oftentimes, data aggregation and reporting are offered alongside traditional cybersecurity features.
Cybersecurity as an eSport?
Let’s cover one more intersection of eSports and cybersecurity—one that revolves around the competitive and gaming spirit. This field combines elements of cybersecurity, including code breaking and simulations, with the goal of outfoxing other cybersecurity pros. In fact, the very first World Cyber Games was held all the way back in 2000, which means this type of competition predates most major eSports leagues.