As a Ransomware Group Threatens Fortnite Developer Epic Games, the Gaming Industry Reinforces Against Data Breaches

Video game giant Epic Games has become the latest target of a ransomware scheme, as industry trends shift in a problematic direction. The company, now a pillar of gaming players and developers alike rely on, faced a delicate situation when the ransomware group Mogilevich claimed to have breached its systems and gained access to a significant amount of data. Any incident causing a shut down for Fortnite, Unreal Engine, or the Epic Games Store would affect billions around the world and would seismically shift the industry landscape. Although the attack is seemingly unfounded, the threatening group and potential ramifactions of similar breaches are as real as ever.

The ransomware group, Mogilevich, stated they compromised 189 gigabytes of data belonging to Epic Games. They demanded a ransom of $15,000 in compensation to prevent the release of the stolen information, threatening potential consequences if their demands were not met. Epic Games responded saying they received no communication from the group, and no third party sources have indicated that the data was truly for sale. Since the incident two days ago, Mogilevich has not verified their initial claims, seemingly confirming the original message was a bluff.

Despite this, the incident has raised alarm bells across the gaming community, highlighting the persistent threat of cyber attacks targeting even the most prominent players in the industry. With Epic Games being a key player in the global gaming landscape, even unfounded claims against them have sparked concerns about the safety of user data and the integrity of gaming platforms.

This unfortunate event brings to mind a similar cyber attack that occurred last year, targeting Insomniac Games, the developers behind acclaimed titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. The attack on Insomniac Games resulted in significant delays to the development of AAA games and exposed employees’ personal information, underscoring the far-reaching consequences of such breaches.

Many studios, developers, and players alike have changed passwords and integrated 2FA into an increasing percentage of apps and websites. Cybersecurity is often breached through one compromised device or individual, and Elemental Computing has always highlighted the importance of authentication and security from all parties. In an era where digital assets and sensitive information are increasingly vulnerable to malicious actors, companies must invest in robust security measures and collaborate with trusted partners who diligently protect data, as we do at ECI, to safeguard their systems and secure assets.

Read about the Insomniac Data Breach: https://www.getelements.dev/post/insomniac-games-cyberattack-fortifying-data-security-in-gaming