Press Releases
Features Dark Web Monitoring for Gamer tags, Secure VPN, and Fewer Product Notifications to Combat Game Disruption
Over 60,000 Dark Web Monitoring for Gamer Tag Notifications Sent to Gamers Since June
TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NortonLifeLock (NASDAQ: NLOK), a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety, today announced the global availability of Norton™ 360 for Gamers, security reimagined for gamers.
“It’s never been more critical for gamers to have strong security in place and build good safety habits to protect themselves,” said Gagan Singh, chief product officer at NortonLifeLock. “As gaming has become such a big part of our lives, the value of gaming accounts and the personal information tied to them has increased exponentially. We created Norton 360 for Gamers as part of our vision to protect and empower people to live their digital lives. We want gamers to continue enjoying the gaming world, but with peace of mind that they have a Cyber Safety plan in place to help stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals.”
With online gaming on the rise during the pandemic, cybercriminals have taken aim on the lucrative industry that boasts more than 2.7 billion gamers globally1. A new survey by NortonLifeLock found that many gamers are concerned about the trajectory of gaming security, with 65% worried that gaming will become less secure in the future. Further, 35% say they have had a gaming account hacked.2 Experts at NortonLifeLock warn that gamers will need to be more vigilant this year as cybercriminals recognize the value of their accounts and personal information.
Today’s gamers are faced with challenges that extend well beyond the game. From casual to hardcore PC gamers, personal information and digital assets abound in the gaming universe and are valuable to cybercriminals, putting gamers at risk for device vulnerabilities, phishing attacks and identity theft. A typical gaming account can include the gamer’s name, birth year, mailing address, email, mobile number, payment information, and other personal information that, with the right mix of information, could be used by an identity thief to wreak financial havoc. Gamer tags are ransacked for virtual items and personally identifiable information that are bought and sold for real money on the Dark Web. Once a gaming account has been breached, the gamer’s other accounts, from banking to social media, are at a much higher risk for account takeovers and fraud.3
Norton 360 for Gamers was designed by gamers at NortonLifeLock to help protect PC gamers with advanced, multi-layered protection, including Dark Web Monitoring Powered by LifeLock,4 a first in Cyber Safety, which monitors up to 10 gamer tags and notifies gamers if their gamer tags, usernames and email addresses are found on the Dark Web. To date, NortonLifeLock has issued more than 60,000 notifications informing customers their gaming information was located on the Dark Web. Norton 360 for Gamers also offers optimized notifications, permanently silencing messages except the most essential, eliminating the tension between wanting security and gaming.
“Gamers pour their passion, time and money into their gaming PCs and accounts, but they’re notoriously apprehensive about security because they just don’t want to be interrupted or experience slowness, or they may think the free stuff is good enough,” said Bob Shaker, head of gaming at NortonLifeLock. “Many of us at NortonLifeLock are gamers ourselves, and we wanted to reimagine how we approach security and develop features tailored to gamers’ needs, like limiting notifications that could interrupt a game and adding gamer tag monitoring among the personal information we look out for on the Dark Web. We are excited to now offer Norton 360 for Gamers globally to help keep PC Gamers safe.”
In addition to Dark Web Monitoring, key Norton 360 for Gamers features include:
- Secure VPN4: Browse anonymously and securely by masking your IP address with a no-log VPN to help protect against DDOS attacks, doxxing and SWATing.
- Notification Optimization: We’ll only notify you if your PC is under attack, your protection is at risk, or you aren’t using a feature you’re entitled to use—and give you control over product reminders.
- Full-Screen Mode Detection5: Device security for PCs that detects when you’re using full-screen mode, and silences all but critical security alerts.
- PC SafeCam5: Helps protect against potential stream bans and embarrassment with alerts on attempts to access your webcam so you can block them.
To learn more, please visit the NortonLifeLock gaming blog and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About NortonLifeLock Inc.
NortonLifeLock Inc. (NASDAQ: NLOK) is a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety. Its vision is to protect and empower people to live their digital lives safely through a comprehensive product portfolio that helps secure the devices, identities, online privacy, and home and family needs of approximately 50 million consumers. NortonLifeLock is the consumer’s trusted ally in a complex digital world. For more information, please visit www.NortonLifeLock.com.
1 “2020 Global Games Market Report,” Newzoo, April 2020
2 NortonLifeLock online survey of 2,985 adults 18+ in the US (n=1,136), UK (n=473), Australia (n=453), Germany (n=428) and New Zealand (n=495) who currently play online games that require an account where they provide personal information. Conducted by The Harris Poll. December 2020.
3 Seok, S., & DaCosta, B. (2019). The cyber awareness of online video game players: an examination of their online safety practices and exposure to threats. International Journal of Cyber Research and Education (IJCRE), 1(1), 69-77.
4 Secure VPN and Dark Web Monitoring are not available in all countries. Full details available on product landing page.
5 Norton SafeCam and Full-Screen Mode Detection features are only available on Windows.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126005316/en/
Jenna Torluemke
NortonLifeLock Inc.
(415) 767-7800
Jenna.Torluemke@nortonlifelock.com
Christine Kim
Edelman for NortonLifeLock Inc.
(415) 712-3409
Christine.Kim@edelman.com