PC gamers were hit by malware 11.7 million times between January and November, the equivalent of 34,000 gaming attacks faced by users everday, a Kaspersky report has revealed.
Spanish gamers were the prime target, with 138,786 hacking attempts made on them during the period, followed by Poland with 127,509 and Italy with 75,080. And the UK, which ranked seventh globally, experienced 27,049 hacking attacks.
Kaspersky Lab senior security researcher David Emm told the Telegraph that the launch of two of the biggest consoles, including the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, would increase criminal targets as consoles use the Internet to boost gaming experience.
"As computer games continue to become an increasingly prominent and important part of our lives, and our culture, expect malicious actors to up the sophistication and the volume of their attacks on gamers," Emm said.
"If people want to enjoy their new toys this Christmas, they have to be careful, as it’s clear they are facing a greater threat than ever."
