Internet security company Symantec is warning that virtual worlds like Second Life and World of Warcraft are being targeted by organised criminals to launder money and spread key loggers and ID harvesters.

The warning is contained in Symantec´s Internet Security Threat Report, which predicts that over the next six to 24 months a number of security concerns will emerge as the use of these virtual environments expand.

Many persistent virtual worlds (PVWs), such as Second Life, and massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) allow players to conduct real-money transactions in virtual worlds. Players can use credit cards or other payment methods to purchase virtual credits and then exchange those credits with players in other countries, where they may be withdrawn back into local currencies. These transactions have evolved into a de facto international monetary system with exchanges for trading (virtual) currency across virtual worlds or different games.

These secondary economies are still relatively small, but Symantec believes they could be used by criminals illicitly, especially as all identities are virtual in these worlds.

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News Original From: m-net.net

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