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A majority of PC gamers do not think that they are a hacking target, research from ESET has found.
When asked if they used security software on their gaming computer, 52 per cent of 500 gamers surveyed said that they did not because of the following reasons:
- 12 per cent said it slowed down their computer
- 8 per cent said it interrupted their gaming experience
- 20 per cent said they didn’t need to
- 13 per cent said they didn’t like the pop ups
Other findings for the study revealed that when respondents were asked if they would turn their security software off if it was slowing down their machine 36 per cent said yes. When respondents were asked which was more important between security and frame-rates, 32 per cent said frame-rates.
Mark James, security specialist at ESET, said: “It is definitely not a wise move to turn off a security solution because you feel it is interrupting your gaming session. As a gamer most of the games you play will involve many long hours of hard work and invested effort. If your machine was to become compromised, the risk of malware stealing your login credentials is massively increased.
"Cybercriminals could then utilise your gaming account for nefarious purposes that could include botting and or gold/item farming. While there’s a good chance you will get your account back after it’s been banned – providing you can prove it was compromised – it’s the downtime that causes so much hassle. Internet security is your first line of defence and should not be switched off or removed for any reason whatsoever."
The study also found that 83 per cent of gamers play for at least two hours a day and that one-in-ten have played a game continuously for between 12-14 hours in one sitting. Six per cent of gamers confessed to playing continuously for over 24 hours at one time.
James said: “Gaming is highly addictive and it is no wonder so many respondents from our study admit to playing them for so long. However, being able to successfully balance school or work and friends and family obligations is crucial. I would never recommend anyone spend more time in virtual worlds than they do in the real world."
