A BRIEF HISTORY OF

MALWARE AWESOMENESS (ahem… Gaming) Today, the digital Once upon a time, the world isn’t so digital world was all fun harmless. Experts and games. Tiny men estimate that the wearing red jumped over barrels to global cost of cybercrime exceeds save princesses from inexplicably $445 billion annually. Yeah, with a B. huge and unattractive gorillas. Colorful And it’s more than a little annoying to centipedes hurtled through a mushroom discover your Steam account with 248 forest only to get part of their midsections indie games got jacked because your erased by a little ship that can only move antivirus wasn’t up to date. back and forth. These were innocent times.

COME ON A TRIP WITH ME DOWN MEMORY LANE Today, the worlds of malware and gaming have become sadly intertwined as cyberthugs have realized that stealing games is not only fun, but it’s also lucrative. Trolls don’t just steal your accounts to sell your level 65 cleric on eBay anymore – now they want to add you to their botnet, trade your selfies on TOR, encrypt all your save files, and steal your Bitcoins.

ARE YOU PROTECTED?

Space Invaders released – parents 1978 everywhere begin crusade against video game violence

Pac-Man goes on sale in July (Ms. 1980 Pac-Man has to wait until 1982—typical)

The word “virus” is first used to Donkey Kong, Galaga, and Centipede describe a computer program 1981 1981 released (Dig Dug, Q*bert, in 1982)

A Russian mathematician creates Malware was just silly until the 1984 Tetris, and Americans love it, despite Trojan “Gotcha” is created to kill 1985 themselves system files

The first self-encrypting polymorphic Game Boy released – changes the lives viruses created 1989 1989 of young people everywhere. Suddenly riding in the car and inhaling dad’s smoke doesn’t suck so much anymore

Wolfenstein 3D released – adolescents 1992 across the world are heard shouting “Achtung!” in distorted tones “Concept,” the first virus to spread through Microsoft Word, is created 1995

Sony Online Entertainment’s Everquest 1999 leads 100,000s of players to join Y2K scared everyone to death even guilds to level up and play online though it wasn’t a virus, but 2000 together ILOVEYOU was: it infected at least fifty million computers and caused at least $6 billion in damages Valve releases Steam to the general 2003 confusion of the entire world. Today, Botnets come to prominence and we look back and wish we had invested begin DDOSing servers for the lulz 2004 Psychonauts released – no one notices The first smartphone 2005 (but millions and millions noticed World viruses are released 2005 of Warcraft, released a few months through MMS messages – earlier) stupid people everywhere get pwned

Malware gets belligerent: Dubbed the year of the sequel by me, the Stuxnet worm 2010 2010 many franchises got sequels. Don’t engages in cyber warfare believe me? Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mass Effect 2, StarCraft 2, Rock Band CryptoLocker makes some 3. Must I go on? killer dough, stealing an 2013 estimated $30 million in 100 days (how do I get that job?)

TeslaCrypt, a new riff on Everyone is still trying to figure out encrypting ransomware, 2015 2015 how to deal with the new generation targets gamers’ save files of consoles being released. Meanwhile, and system files, stealing PC gamers are laughing as Lizard all the monies from your Squad and Anonymous completely wallet, and it doesn’t even wreck console gamers’ lives give your files back

100% MALWARE GROWTH is anticipated through2016 by mid

2014 there were 96 MILLION malware variants or... 14,650/HR 2013 82 MILLION malware variants 2010 18 MILLION malware variants 2007 6 MILLION malware variants GET PROTECTED FIGHT BACK 2005 < 1 MILLION malware variants

PIXELS © 2015 CTMG. Other IP TM & © 2015 of applicable property owners. All Rights Reserved.