Russian intelligence accused of using popular gaming platforms to disseminate sensitive information
In an alarming revelation, Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, has announced that the company’s security analysis teams have discovered Russian intelligence sharing sensitive information within video game communities. This news comes in the wake of recent reports that confidential Pentagon data was shared on a Minecraft Discord server.
Microsoft President @BradSmi says the Wagner Group and Russian intelligence have been working to penetrate gaming communities to use them “as a place to get information into circulation.” pic.twitter.com/F7CCmaqOvu
— Semafor (@semafor) April 12, 2023
Speaking at the Semafor World Economy Summit, Smith detailed how state-sponsored actors are infiltrating gaming communities to spread information. “For the last several months, our digital threat analysis team has been identifying efforts by the Russians to basically penetrate some of these gaming communities,” Smith said, as reported by GI.biz. “We’ve been advising governments about this. It’s the Wagner Group, it’s Russian intelligence. They are, in part, using [gaming] as a place to get information into circulation.”
The Wagner Group, a private military company with close ties to Russia, is allegedly responsible for these efforts. Smith’s comments are particularly concerning, as it highlights the potential for gaming communities to be exploited for espionage and other nefarious purposes.
This is not the first time that gaming platforms have been implicated in covert intelligence operations. In 2015, Belgium’s Minister of the Interior claimed that terrorists were using the PlayStation Network for communication purposes. Furthermore, the Edward Snowden NSA leaks exposed the United States government’s surveillance of conversations on Xbox Live and World of Warcraft. It was also revealed that a British spy agency had considered using the Xbox Kinect camera for surveillance purposes.
As gaming platforms become increasingly connected and accessible, it is essential that security measures are taken to protect gamers and prevent the spread of sensitive information. Microsoft’s revelations underscore the need for the gaming industry and governments to work together to combat such threats and maintain the integrity of gaming communities.
