Amid
the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the overall economic downturn, a
number of industries have managed to thrive – one of them
is eSports.
While
all the major live sporting events have been postponed in the interest
of public safety, and most likely will not be held anytime
soon, for millions of sports fans online tournaments have become the
only way to get their fix. Even the world’s fastest and most expensive
spectator sport, Formula 1, went online to replace the postponed Grand
Prix Series with virtual races. These digital
competitions, where the F1 stars are competing alongside special guests,
are being broadcast live on multiple platforms – from Facebook to
Twitch, attracting
hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Some
rightly say that without traditional elements of racing – like the
smell of burning rubber or champagne celebrations, it’s not the
same real-life Formula 1. Nevertheless, the growing popularity of
virtual races shows that it’s not a deal breaker of any sort.
In
general, the eSports industry has been booming for years anyway,
cementing itself in popular culture. The total eSports viewership
in 2019 was estimated to be around 454
million people.
It is expected to grow at a nine percent compound annual growth rate
and to double within the next six years. But the current pandemic can
help the audience numbers surge even faster than expected.
eMotorsport
Meanwhile, motorsport is one of a very limited number of sports with a truly
global appeal – for instance, the fanbase of Formula 1 exceeds half
a billion people,
representing all corners of the planet. At the same time, offline and
virtual motorsport is now more interconnected than ever –F1 racers
are competing in online challenges and eSportsmen are becoming
legitimate stars with a solid fan base and sponsorship contracts.
Just
some 10 years ago, if someone said they considered a career in eSports,
no one would have taken them seriously. Now, however, stories
of people earning millions of dollars in virtual competitions are not
uncommon. It’s difficult to tell what races, classic or virtual, will
eventually be more popular – all options are on the table. But the
popularity of online races will continue to grow,
attracting new followers and luring existing racing fans.
According
to a Nielsen survey, 43% of motorsport fans are “interested or very interested” in eSports.
Moreover, the appeal of virtual motorsport is being supported by
the generational change and the way youngsters consume information. Both
Millennials and Generation Z surely appreciate the playful side of the
experience offered by tech.
Nevertheless,
the growing popularity of eSports doesn’t just open up the
entertainment sector but also leads to new challenges as the
ecosystem of virtual competitions relies on a huge IT infrastructure.
The question of immunity for eSport networks is crucial for both players
and eSport organisations. And the more the industry thrives – the more
vital these questions will become.
Where is the safety car?
Ten
years ago, Kaspersky entered Formula 1. A first in the industry, we
partnered with a leader of racing – Scuderia Ferrari, and we’ve
since built a strong and proven partnership with the legendary carmaker.
Since then we have provided Ferrari with cyber-immunity and Kaspersky’s
world-class infrastructure protection. This reaches more than 5,000
Ferrari endpoints and systems globally, including
the factory in Maranello and Ferrari’s infrastructure at F1 circuits
around the world.
And cybersecurity is not new for the gaming industry.
Alongside
widespread threats online, gamers are also exposed to specific risks.
The latter can include character and inventory theft
via password-stealing malware or targeted phishing – the better your
game character or account, the greater the chance that criminals will
target you specifically to sell your valuable stuff on the gray market
or demand a ransom. This is especially relevant
for well-developed games with a
ready-to-pay
audience. As a reminder, the most expensive item ever sold in a game (that we know about) cost $635,000.
Hackers
often target gamers with fake game updates or utilities claiming to
customise your game or help speed up your progress. Malicious
apps can be spread through in-game communication, as attachments on
gamers’ forums or chat rooms, and in exceptional cases even through
legitimate game update mechanisms.
Some
of that malware is game-oriented, stealing gamers’ credentials or
in-game goods, but some steal bank accounts; add the user’s PC,
Mac, or smartphone to a botnet; or even mines cryptocurrency.
eSafety first
The
cases mentioned above are just a few varieties, which is why gamers
should never forget about cyber-immunity for their devices. Time-proven
and up-to-date security solutions are always the answer. Don’t be afraid
of the stereotype that “antiviruses affect PC processing capabilities”
and, therefore, ruin the overall gaming experience. Of course, no one
wants to lose momentum on their way to victory.
To
avoid such sour situations Kaspersky’s major household products have
been updated to include Gaming Mode. When enabled, the application
does not run scans and updates, nor does it show any notifications when
another application is opened in full screen.
Yet
there is more space for solutions to help gamers with continuous
performance as well as protection of their
profiles and whole gaming experience: from securing mobile broadcasting
and streaming tools, to anti-cheat and VR/AR control management.
In March, within the Kaspersky Innovation Hub, we announced
a global call for gaming startups, inviting all teams and individual
projects to develop solutions on the edge of cybersecurity and eSports
to participate in the challenge. With this project, we are looking
forward to working jointly with the best tech-based
initiatives on pilot projects, so we can enhance our technology and
address security needs together with higher accuracy and efficiency.
Nowadays,
with the technological advances and growing interest from the public,
global investors, brands and
media, the future of eSports looks brighter than ever. But just like on
the racetrack, safety rules in cyberspace must be taken really seriously
to ensure that virtual competitions don’t take an unexpected turn.
