Walking on Water: A Cheating Case Study

The online gaming industry is booming. With millions of gamers connecting from countries across the globe, a lucrative market has emerged for both the companies developing the games and those seeking to subvert them. Games such as World of Warcraft boast subscription counts topping 10 million active users, and these unprecedented online communities have evolved into microcosms of the real world, developing economies where even the in-game currencies have real-world value. Web sites have popped up allowing gamers to buy everything from high-level characters to information or programs that allow them to cheat and obtain advantages over other players. This translation from virtual worth to actual wealth has created opportunities for malicious users with the necessary skills to turn a profit. While many game developers acknowledge and address these risks, new games are still emerging utilizing technologies whose security implications have yet to be publicly disclosed.