Experts warn of cyber threats on Roblox gaming platforms
Roblox is one of the most favored gaming platforms despite being in the UAE, capturing the attention of children, teens, and adults. With over 45 million people accessing the platform daily, it contains an infinite universe with millions of experiences such as role playing, creating games and socializing. But amid all this fun, also comes the danger of cybersecurity threats, which are inevitable especially among kids. These neutral assessments are felt to be problematic where children are concerned.
“An estimate suggests about 90% of children playing online games such as roblox have come into contact or experienced some form of cyber bullying. Due to lack of offline presence, it is very difficult to police or even trace these interactions,” stated Rayad Kamal Ayub – Managing Director Rayad Group of Companies.
While playing Roblox, children become susceptible to a wider variety of cyber threats. "Some of the bigger issues are phishing. Phishing is designed to trick children into providing their private information, such as logins, as they cloud and click on undesirable links or install fake apps." Said the sourcing partner and a board member of Women in Cybersecurity Middle East, Irene Corpuz.
Also emphasizes, "There are many children who go through online harassment using chat or private messaging. This is a really serious issue as most kids get cyber bullied or there are even cases of children getting manipulated to video call or speak to strangers." Ayub elaborated on this, noting that the rise of sophisticated scams is alarming.
A further explanation of the above was provided by Ayub who stated that the issue of deteriorating it is concerning. "Many of these scams are being directed at children through social media games such as Roblox. They want to bait kids to download applications that contains viruses or ask them to divulge personal information in exchange for fake rewards," Ayub explained.
How the scam works
Ayub explained what usually happens during these scams this way: “For example, you may see a link that is offering free Robux or in-game items and when you click it, you are redirected to a page where they ask for your username and operating system. They'll ask how many coins or credits you would like to have, and out of the blue comes the ‘Last Step’ warning. This is the point where they entice you into providing some sensitive information.” He observed that this step is crucial to the success of the entire scam, with the attackers working with such information to steal accounts or sensitive data.
Abusive Behavior
One of the disturbing issues involves the abusive nature of some users in Roblox. As Corpuz put it, “Predators normally pretend to be friends or other children and hence gain the confidence of the children. They simply want to use the game’s chat, friend options, and messages to ensnare and then manipulate children. Such activities can lead to communication that is a little bit out of bounds and with private pictures being requested.”
Hazards of 'Condo Games'
Ayub added a disturbing dimension to this, the rise of “Condo Games” on Roblox, where adult content, which includes offensive language, and violent, and sexual-related content is embedded in the games. "There are more of these virtual facilities which are actually created by bad users and targeted to kids for sexual exploitation purposes", Ayub explained. “It is disturbing how children are so easily bubbled into such situations while pretending to be playing.”
Robux Scams and Fraud
Another major factor that attracts roblox players is Robux, which is Roblox’s currency that can be used to purchase items, skins, or other things that can enhance the players’ experiences. But that widens yet another window for scams. Parents should be cautious of Kunyt, who warned: "Children’s appetite for Robux is a bait for Con artists who offer sweet seeming deals that trick children into giving out passwords or credit cards."
After gaining access to their accounts, it is quite easy for the scammers to steal or even withdraw Robux or make purchases through other payment methods connected to the account.”
The mods hide spyware
Another risk courtesy in Full & Corpuz, there is the threat from malware and viruses embedded in game mods. “It is also worthwhile to explain that what children think is a hare game mod and so feels downloaded to them only to have their devices infected with malware designed for example to steal data,” she explained. A report on cybersecurity shows that in 2023, Roblox will still be among the top three gaming apps that attract attackers’ malware.
Steps taken to ensure Roblox safety
Roblox has put in place quite a number of safety provisions like, moderation protocols, content editing engaging staff, and devices that filter content automatically. Nonetheless, what Corpuz cautioned was that these are not always the best solutions. “Though there is basic screening of material to reduce harmful sections of users, Roblox’s content filters are still less effective,” she said.
Multi-factor authentication
The need for more effective security was voiced by Ayub especially when it comes to multi-factor authentication (MFA). “But Roblox needs to do a better job at how security measures work, especially on Windows where this feature called ‘Trust This Device’ can sometimes be absent. This deters users from turning on some of the critical security measures that are required,” said Kacey.
Educating kids on safety
To that, Corpuz answered, ‘the parents are the best shield.’ “On your part, you should understand the parental control features of Roblox. It’s important to control who your children communicate with online, check chat logs, and discuss strange games or interactions,” she said.
Also, Ayub notes that it is important to teach children about the internet. “Inform them about the existence of online danger and instill policies on Bullying allowing children to understand not to stay where they are aggrieved to those they do bully or abuse on social media,” he continued.
If a child has encountered inappropriate content or behavior on Roblox, Corpuz recommended addressing Roblox's reporting system straightaway.
Stay vigilant
Roblox can be a fun and educational place for children, but the dangers of it must be clear.
With that, Corpuz concluded “The crux is to achieve a halfway mark , let children enjoy their gaming but make sure that measurable steps are undertaken to safeguard them.”
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