ETHICAL, SOCIAL, PROFESSIONAL AND LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING THE SECURITY CONCERN OF ONLINE COMPUTER GAMES

INTRODUCTION

The advancements in information system technologies into today’s society have given rise to several concerns regarding data security and privacy. However, these concerns relate to protective measures taken with respect to digital privacy and the protection of unauthorised access to databases of information. Regarding information system technologies, computer games have been designed in such manner to collect, process and store personal data of the gamers. This raises several concerns on the security measures taken to ensure the security of personal data. Mainly, computer games appear to be a source of entertainment, especially for younger generations. However, far beyond fun, they have been for decades as one of the major computer applications with far-reaching implications, especially regarding security. According to Briggle (2008), there have always been copying protection mechanisms in the console games, but the bulk of the security effort of game retailers has been focused on locking in customers to their hardware.

As technology advances, many computer games as well as security risks have advanced and have become a prevailing factor in the computer gaming industry. Recent security breaches have proven that security risks can cause damage within the computer game industry, especially regarding the user data that is transmitted on the consoles. Top computer game industries such as Sony, EVE online, League of Legends, Bethesda, and Minecraft have experienced security breaches in recent years. However, this essay tends to investigate the security issues in online-computer games and the ethical, social, legal, and professional associated with processing and management and personal data.