Security News > 2020 > November > Animal Jam Hacked, 46M Records Roam the Dark Web
Animal Jam, just the latest in a string of attacks on gaming apps, has adopted a transparent communications strategy after stolen data turned up on a criminal forum.
The company behind the wildly popular kids' game Animal Jam has announced that hackers stole a menagerie of account records during a breach of a third-party vendor's server in October - more than 46 million of them, in fact.
The game is free to play and provides a virtual experience where kids can design their own animal avatars, learn facts about nature, chat with other players and engage in mini-competitions for in-game prizes.
In late October the game "Among Us" was hacked and rendered nearly unplayable for many, by what appeared to be a single malicious actor who got a thrill out of ruining the game for others.
"An interesting observation within the gaming industry is that player accounts are often high-value assets due to in-app purchases, or rewards from leveling up. In other words, gaming accounts are often seen as items for sale - at least accounts owned by adults spending money. However, we now have proof that even educational games for children are no longer safe, and are valuable resources for bad actors."