The Guardian reports, “South Korean police recently arrested five people who allegedly collaborated with North Korean hackers to steal millions of dollars in points from online gaming sites. Members of the gang, which included North Korea’s technological elite, worked in China and shared profits after they sold programs that allowed users to rack up points without actual play.”

Scammers resell stolen points to gamers, who use the points to play more games or to purchase equipment or accessories for their avatars. According to Seoul police, the cybercriminals behind this particular scheme made $6 million in less than two years. 55% of that went to the team of hackers, while some went to Kim Jong-il’s multibillion-dollar slush fund, which American and South Korean officials say is at least partially used to fund a nuclear weapons program. (more…)

As many of the online game industry’s most respected leaders and innovators convene in Seattle next week for the LOGIN Conference, we look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends at this year’s event.

As always, the show will feature some of the industry’s top names sharing their ideas about advancements in technology and design, the future of digital games, and how online games and virtual worlds are helping solve real-world business issues.

iovation has a particular interest in this show because we actively protect over 20 gaming clients and their legitimate players from all forms of fraud and abuse. Each day, our device reputation technology helps more than 75 individual online games identify bad players in their virtual environments — and keep them from returning — to build a safer and more trusting online gaming experience for their good customers. (more…)