Sunbelt Software Highlights Dangers of Workplace Gaming
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010Sunbelt Software, one of the leading suppliers of Windows security software, has warned that the use of network gaming consoles in employee workplaces and waiting areas actually increases the chance of distributed denial of service (DDoS) and phishing attacks.
In a recent survey, Sunbelt Software discovered nearly 40% of those questioned, and these were mostly senior IT officials in major companies, had no idea about the very real threat posed by online console gaming. They were unaware of the many documented cases of threats that relate to such activities and did not appreciate the vulnerability of companies when employees were playing, for example, Xbox Live.
Even basic steps such as keeping a record as to which employees were using consoles at any given time were not being taken. The research revealed 80% of managers said they did not keep these sorts of records, making it impossible to track down, or monitor attacks, or data leaks.
Sunbelt Security pointed out its the online element of console gaming that causes the problems. And most of the risks centred on exposing the IP address which can then be attacked, forcing a closure of the internet connection. Those behind the attacks are usually opportunist criminals, or embittered employees.
But it’s not only the company itself that is facing danger. Online gamers also can be prone to phishing attacks and social engineering scams which are designed to extract such things as passwords, usernames and other bits of valuable data. This is harvested via emails, forum threads and in-game speech.
Chris Boyd, senior threat researcher at Sunbelt Software, said:
“There are benefits to having games consoles in the workplace, as they can boost morale by providing staff with a fun diversion during lunch and other break periods, while consoles in lobby and waiting areas help convey a sense of a modern, fun and tech-savvy organisation.
“However, these benefits must be weighed against the business implications of a threat, such as a DDoS attack, which can harm productivity significantly. In most cases, the most practical option for an organisation is to disconnect consoles from the internet and use them for offline play only.”
The Sunbelt Software survey also revealed which games console was the most popular choice in the workplace. Coming out on top with a commanding 48% was the Nintendo Wii, with the Xbox 360 a close runner-up at 40% and PlayStation 3 with a mere 11%.
Any system which connects to the internet is in danger of contracting a computer virus, however there are currently few viruses which are designed to attack games consoles. If you are concerned about your games console getting a computer virus you can install antivirus software.
Guest Article by Neil Camp


My name is Alan Potts and I'm the Editor of the Antivirus-BUYability web site and Managing Director of BUYability Limited. You can connect with me or keep up to date with new posts on this blog via the following social media sites: 








