Thursday, September 22, 2011

Cybercriminals Target Children via Online Games

[caption id="attachment_392" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Neopets was targeted by cybercriminals in 2009."]Neopets.com Screenshot[/caption]

Parents, do you monitor your child’s computer use?

If not, you may want to start taking interest in what online games your kids are downloading and installing on your family PC. Otherwise, your sensitive information may be at risk.

Hackers and internet scammers alike realize the benefits of lacing online games with malware and viruses, leveraging a child’s lack of concern for computer security into a successful computer infection.

BitDefender recently reported that internet scammers had taken to releasing a variety of “spot the difference” games that ran malware in the background. While the child is enjoying the game itself, the malware attached to it goes to work: editing system files, hijacking your web browser’s start page & replacing all of your existing browser bookmarks with ones that link to additional malware.

This isn’t the first time hackers and internet scammers have used online games to target children either.

[caption id="attachment_403" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Sample "Magic Paintbrushes" used in the attack"]Neopets "Magic Paintbrushes" Used in the Attack[/caption]In 2009, the extremely popular children’s website, Neopets, which allows members to “adopt” and raise cyber-pets, fell under attack when scammers sent and posted messages that routed unsuspecting players that just wanted to use a “magic paintbrush” to change the color of their cyber-pets to a spoofed website that contained malware.

It was only after the child downloaded the [malware] file that they would discover that it was all just a lie and they would never get a magic paintbrush, unaware that the intention was only to trick them into downloading a malicious program to collect sensitive data - like banking information - from their computer.

Protect Your Kids – and PC – from Internet Scammers



Parents can minimize the likelihood of their computer being infected or their child being exposed to dangerous content online by taking the following precautions:

  1. Always Run Up-to-Date Antivirus Software
    Get good antivirus software and set it to update automatically to make sure you have the most recent virus definitions & the best protection possible. All files downloaded online should be scanned BEFORE opening (most antiviruses scan downloaded files by default).

  2. Create a User Profile with Limited Privileges for Your Child
    Create a user profile on your computer that prevents your child from being able to install programs and edit system files. Also, don’t let your child use the computer when it’s logged into an administrator account.

  3. Take Advantage of Parent Controls
    Parent Controls allow you to set time limits on your child’s computer use (so they don’t waste the entire day online), prevent your child from running specific programs, or even block games based on their rating, content, and age. Windows 7 offers some nice features right out of the box, so be sure to check them out.


While the internet can be a dangerous place for kids, it can also be a good source of education and entertainment if the right precautions are in place.

Do you monitor your child’s computer use?

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