more than 19 million cyber attacks aimed at the Gen Z

Between April 2024 and March 2025, Kaspersky detected more than 19 million cyber attacks operating the favorite games of young people. In addition. GTA, Minecraft and Call of Duty are at the top of the titles most diverted to trap 15-30 year olds. Similarly, Faced with this growing threat, the publisher launches an interactive educational game to raise awareness of this ultra-connected generation.

The passion for generation Z for video games is accompanied by a disturbing setback: cybercriminals exploit their enthusiasm to. For example, trap their terminals. Nevertheless, Between April 2024. For example. March 2025, more than 19 million attempts to distribute malware or unwanted files disguised as video games were identified by Kaspersky. In addition, At the heart of this digital offensive. In addition, emblematic titles like GTA, Minecraft, Call of Duty or the Sims were particularly more than 19 million cyber new targeted.

In a detailed report, cybersecurity experts reveal that more more than 19 million cyber than 400,000 users worldwide have been directly affected. Furthermore, The peak was observed in March 2025, with nearly 1.85 million attempts in a single month. The attackers exploit the virality of video game trends. the spontaneity of young people to download content without checking their source, making them particularly vulnerable.

With 4.45 million attempted attacks identified, the GTA franchise leads, largely thanks to its active community and the popularity of unofficial mods. Experts fear a new outbreak of attacks on the approach of GTA released by 2026. during which anticipated false access or infected installation programs could circulate massively.

Minecraft, despite its simplistic graphics, still attracts as much: more than 4.1 million infection attempts were recorded. Call of Duty and the Sims follow, with 2.63 million and 2.41 million attempts respectively. Their communities more than 19 million cyber new fond of personalized content or pirated versions constitute a fertile soil for scams.

Malventy software more than 19 million cyber is in the form of cheats, mods or false beta versions. Once installed. they can deploy Trojan horses. steal passwords, grant remote access to the device, or even quantify the files to require a ransom. Objective: take control of the game accounts. rich in content and virtual objects, and resell them on the Dark Web or via clandestine forums.

Kaspersky has documented this new parallel economy, highlighting the trivialization of the resale of pirated accounts and skins. Ads are now swarming on telegram channels, specialized forums or marketplaces of Dark Web, with offers even targeting streaming services.

To counter this wave of attacks, Kaspersky relies on a playful approach. The company is launching “Case 404”, an interactive game intended for Gen Z. The players embody cyber detectives, responsible for resolving more than 19 million cyber new investigations inspired by real cyberrencies. Objective: teach them to identify digital traps, locate scams, phishing and other hacking techniques. “ more than 19 million cyber What unites all these games is their audience. The Z generation leaves behind a massive digital imprint. Digital self -defense is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity “Recalls Vasily Kolesnikov, security expert at Kaspersky.

At a time when the boundaries between entertainment. cybersecurity are fading, protecting your digital identity becomes such a crucial issue as mastering an online game. For young players, staying vigilant is now the first rule of the game.