{"id":89026,"date":"2018-06-12T21:01:19","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T04:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=89026"},"modified":"2025-08-30T03:39:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T10:39:30","slug":"gaming-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/gaming-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Findings on the Role of Security in the World of Gaming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Playing video games has become a popular pastime for children of all ages (even for some adults too), as the virtual challenges encourage these players to try their hand at beating the game again and again. In fact, recent McAfee research<\/a> found that gaming helps prepare these kids for a potential career in cybersecurity. However, what many children and parents don\u2019t realize is that these games can also pose a serious threat to their family\u2019s online safety. To unpack what that threat looks like exactly, we conducted the McAfee which explores consumers\u2019 attitudes towards the perceived risks that come with gaming. Let\u2019s dive into the key findings.<\/p>\n

Our survey discovered that 62% of children play games where they speak to other people while playing, and parents who responded to our survey are most worried that this unknown person may be a sexual predator (75% of parents), bully (61%), cybercriminal who could steal personal or financial info (60%), or a drug dealer (37%). Despite this worry, 44% of parents would still allow their child to play a game that they are technically too young for (i.e. they are younger than the recommended age determined by the rating).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more \u2013 despite allowing their children up to four hours of gaming per day, 71% of parents at least somewhat agree that their child is at risk of being exposed to inappropriate content while gaming. 62% worry about cybercriminals disguising themselves as another player to steal sensitive information, 58% are concerned that their child could click on a link and download a virus, and 52% worry about cybercriminals hacking gaming accounts and accessing personal or financial information. And unfortunately, some of these concerns have become a reality, as we\u2019ve recently seen cyberattacks involving both Minecraft<\/a> and Nintendo Switch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to Secure Your Kid’s Online Safety:<\/h2>\n

So, with parents worried about the security risks that come with online gaming \u2013 why aren\u2019t they doing something to assuage their own concerns? Fortunately, we have a few pointers you can use to start securing your kid\u2019s online safety today:<\/p>\n