With the ever-increasing dominance of mobile technology in every aspect of how we conduct our daily lives, the critical issue of security is finally coming to the fore. Such concerns regarding user data, payment protection, and malware have historically ranked quite low on consumer’s lists of concerns, with price naturally being at the top of people’s minds.
That’s all changing now. Following a relentless spate of high-profile hacks, seemingly orchestrated through mobile platforms that were thought to be benign, has seen millions of user’s sensitive information stolen or leaked, while big technology companies scramble to plug to holes. The growing media airtime given to mobile security has forced app developers to fundamentally reassess how they do business, and change has been coming.
Let’s take a look at how secure mobile gaming really is in 2018.
How the Apps You Use Are Built
Developers don’t operate the way they did five years ago. With the explosion of the mobile gaming market, even the smallest developer teams have had to take security way more seriously. It’s all about the code and ensuring that any code within the app that relates to handling your data is properly encrypted, in order to prevent any damaging hacks.
There have been some big strides in this area in recent years, with the role of developers and programmers now involving a much greater degree of best security practices than previously. On a more surface level, apps are now more frequently developed with features that keep users completely informed on any hidden payments or intended uses of data. This is partly in response to major legal developments such as GDPR, and partly to do with an attempt to earn the trust of customers in a highly competitive market.
How Microtransactions Are Secured
Apart from data, the other big concern is money. Most mobile gaming apps have features that allow you to make in-app purchases or otherwise spend real money, meaning that extra steps have to be taken in order to keep yours and their money secure from threats.
One industry that has been a pioneer in the microtransaction sector is online casino, who have some of the strongest security measures around. Leading online casinos which deal with millions of pounds in bets and prize money take similar measures to top banks to ensure everybody’s cash is safe. All transactions are secured with end-to-end encryption, and they religiously stick to highly trusted payment platforms such as PayPal.
Other apps could learn a lot from this sector, as there is still plenty of catching up to do in other areas.
Source: Pixabay
The Road Ahead
Security is improving but there is still a lot of work for mobile game developers to do. For one thing, there needs to be more transparency when it comes to in-app purchases, as many leading games still try to keep this hidden.
There also needs to be better protection to stop underage people using certain gaming apps, particularly those where money is concerned. It seems like the industry is on the right track, but we’ll wait and see if this trajectory continues.
