“Hogwarts Legacy”, the highly anticipated Harry Potter game, will be released on February 10th. Set in the legendary wizarding world, it has millions of fans around the world and even became the best-seller on Steam and PlayStation 5, even before its official launch. Sadly though, Harry and his legion of Potterheads around the world have been actively targeted by cybercriminals who have offered to download hacked “Hogwarts Legacy” PC games before its release.
Although it is not yet released, Kaspersky researchers have already found numerous examples of sites offering to download “Hogwarts Legacy” on PC. However, in an attempt to get a game hacked, gamers have actually downloaded malware or unwanted software onto their device. The programs used can range from adware, which delivers advertisements to your screen, to trojans, which silently collect information about you.
“The game about the world of Harry Potter hasn’t come out yet, but it has already become a real phenomenon, which many gamers around the world are talking about. It’s especially popular with those like me who grew up with the wizard books, as well as younger ones. With such a large fan base, the game has become a target for cybercriminals looking to profit from the popularity of this world famous title. Our advice, as always, is to be careful and download games only from official app stores, and don’t forget to use a reliable security solution,” commented Olga Svistunova, Security Expert at Kaspersky.
To protect yourself from these types of threats and scams, Kaspersky recommends:
- Purchase and download games only from official sites. Do not trust offers that give away new and expensive games – in most cases it is a scam.
- Whenever possible, it’s important to secure your accounts with two-factor authentication. If not, check your account settings.
- Use strong and unique passwords for each attack. That way, even if one account is stolen, all the others are safe. For online games it is better not to use the same password that you use for other services.
- An effective and reliable security solution like Kaspersky Total Security is a great help, especially if it doesn’t slow down your computer while playing. At the same time, it protects against all possible cyber threats.