Kaspersky Labs says it discovered a group of cybercriminals focused on attacking game developers and publishers in order to steal virtual currency.
The company said in a blog post the ring – named “Winnti” – has been active for four years, accessing source codes for the development of pirated games or stealing virtual currency which can then be converted into real money.
Winnti has been responsible for breaking into the servers of at least 35 game developers and publishers since 2009. Kaspersky said it believes the group is from China or South Korea.
“Kaspersky Lab began this ongoing research in the autumn of 2011,” said Kaspersky Lab. “The subject is a series of targeted attacks against private companies around the world.
Most of Winnti’s victims have been located in Asia, though companies in Germany, the United States, Russia, Brazil, Peru and Belarus have also been targeted.
“Such geographic diversity is hardly surprising,” Kaspersky said. “Often, gaming companies (both publishers and developers) are international, having representatives and offices worldwide. Also, it is common practice for gaming companies from various regions to cooperate.”
With the attacks still ongoing, Kaspersky said it would continue investigating the group.
