Guest Editorial by Ron Kerbs, founder and CEO of Kidas
More and more, we see online gaming becoming the venue of choice for predators and criminals alike to carry out creative cyberattacks and expose gamers to danger.
Children and teens are particularly vulnerable.
Every day, thousands of gamers, particularly younger ones, fall victim to a multitude of serious and disturbing online threats, such as cyberbullying, fraud, harassment, and even grooming.
Malware and phishing schemes carried out against young gamers also put the families of these gamers at risk.
The success of the gaming industry relies on the long-term loyalty of the gamer. Loyalty in gaming is comparable to loyalty in any other consumer or entertainment market and is driven by a pretty simple notion: did the player have a positive or negative experience?
Game developers and publishing houses are well-served to take action to better protect youth gamers. The industry is continuing to see an emergence of technologies engineered specifically for just that.
Employing these new technologies not only enables a better gaming experience for youth gamers but also fosters peace of mind for the purchase decision-makers: their parents.
(GMA series about tweens and tech examines the perils of online gaming. Courtesy of ABC News of YouTube.)
Top Dangers that Children Face While Gaming
Research shows that 54% of players have left a multiplayer video game because someone was exhibiting cyberbullying behavior.*
Given that 38% of players have avoided a multi-player video game because they were concerned about cyberbullying behavior, developers should be on the lookout for incorporating solutions to counteract player avoidance.**
Among the most toxic experiences reported by gamers are cyberbullying, financial scams, and predatory grooming, as mentioned above. With open access to chat and voice features across many popular games, these incidents are growing increasingly common.
For example, bad actors targeted a child by promising them extra Roblox points for logging into the game through a third-party website. From there, the third-party site hacked her account and made $2,500 worth of charges to her parent’s credit card.
While her parents were able to dispute the charges with the credit card company, others haven’t been so lucky.
What’s more, online bullying in gaming can translate into real-world interactions. Many times, to avoid this, youth gamers choose to switch to games without voice communication.
(Hear from Tom Screech from Philly Esports to talk about Cyberbullying and how to protect your children while gaming. Courtesy of KidasNet and YouTube.)
The Crux Developers Face
The most popular games in the world are ones that require strategic multi-player engagement. The positive experience of these games hinges on the ability of players to unite, talk strategy and play as a team.
When gamers opt out of these multiplayer games, more and more developers face a grave reality: lack of user retention will negatively impact a game’s ability to realize sustainable revenue.
The crux developers face is establishing their own philosophy and the unique governance of in-game moderation. On one hand, well-moderated group chats are inherent to the continued lifetime loyalty of young gamers. But, on the other hand, developers also want to avoid being perceived as “Big Brother” monitoring everything.
Developers need to accept in-game moderation as a fundamental component of any multiplayer game. It is integral that developers work on establishing the right protocol and application of moderation that is “on brand” for their game and the demographic of its players.
The ideal scope of moderation should take into consideration factors such as age appropriateness and an understanding of what the game’s players would deem to be offensive. At the same time, the purpose of moderation, in general, should be to facilitate an enjoyable and immersive gaming experience.
Before implementing moderation decisions, developers should spend time studying and understanding who their players are. It’s important to take an ethnographic approach to unveil the characteristics, values, and motivations of the gaming subpopulation unique to their game. Then, work to quantify and validate those insights.
(For students in schools across the country, sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end is the new normal. But it comes with problems made even worse by the pandemic. Courtesy of CBS Sacramento and YouTube. Posted on Feb 25, 2021.)
Previous Attempts at Solutions in the Industry
The perfect approach to moderation is not one size fits all. Looking at what has been done historically points us toward what will work now and into the future.
In the past, developers have, more or less, taken two approaches to report toxicity:
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Rely on players to report toxicity they experience, and/or
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Utilize a moderation team.
The problem with the first is that it disrupts the natural immersive flow of the game, and young gamers often don’t trust that reporting will be anonymous.
The problem with the latter is that, due to the sheer volume of incidents being reported, toxicity teams struggle to make this approach sustainable.
Some developers have even considered creating unique “worlds” – one for the bad actors and another for non-toxic players.
This is difficult for numerous reasons, including it is hard to distinguish these players across different games and the unfortunate reality that there would still be excessive toxicity in one of the “worlds.” Not to mention, this still does not solve the core issue at hand.
(ONLINE GAME CHATTING: Dangers your children come across on the web. Courtesy of KETK NBC and YouTube.)
How Technology Can Help
Adopting the market’s newest technology provides solutions where the above fall short.
Between the massive amount of gaming data that must be sifted through to developing an effective moderation solution, creating a lasting and meaningful solution to this ongoing problem is a tremendous lift for any in-house development team to tackle from start to finish.
But suppose developers can identify and work with a third-party expert specializing in this area. In that case, it becomes much more possible to integrate an intelligent AI that instantly categorizes, ranks, and reports threats – all with close to perfect accuracy.
One idea to consider is to build in an onboarding tutorial for gamers that displays suggested “Do’s and Don’ts” and sets the stage for a positive gaming experience while the game loads.
Further, it’s difficult for a company to gather resources and the necessary capabilities to build a solution from scratch. These solutions are built by machine learning engineers, cybersecurity experts, and child psychologists.
This is why it’s important for companies to be open to learning about, and leaning into, the possibilities that open up from experts who are incredibly specialized in their relative niche.
Technology has the potential to move the gaming industry forward in a significant way and by having developers employ these technologies, we begin to create an industry that is fundamentally geared toward the safety and enjoyment of all players from the beginning.
Ultimately, we all want what’s best for the world and the gaming industry.
It’s a phenomenal thing to see so many bright minds working every day to protect kids’ well-being and to see the industry as a whole give more attention and effort toward supporting the health and safety of all players.
About the Author
Ron Kerbs is the founder and CEO of Kidas, a technology company that develops anti-cyberbullying and predator protection software for online gaming platforms.
Enthusiastic about utilizing big data and machine learning to help people reach better decisions, Kerbs is a seasoned R&D Team Leader with a strong information technology background (Technion MSc, IDF’s top technology unit).
Kerbs has extensive business experience within various major startup scenes (Israel, Germany, and the U.S.)
* Journal of Information Systems Applied Research, Volume 8, Issue 1, April 2015, ISSN: 1946-1836
** Journal of Information Systems Applied Research, Volume 8, Issue 1, April 2015, ISSN: 1946-1836
Kidas analyzes all in-game communications on PCs and alerts parents about potentially dangerous activities in video games.
ProtectMe is gaming privacy and protection software for your family’s PC, that notifies parents/guardians when dangerous activity is detected while your child is playing online video games.
(Kidas is a bullying and predator protection software for your child’s PC games. Download and install ProtectMe by Kidas onto your child’s or family computer to receive alerts of any threats or dangerous activity. Courttesy of KidasNet and YouTube.)
ProtectMe isn’t just a piece of nanny software, alerting parents to their own child’s misbehaving. It also recognizes signs of incoming harassment.
The program uses artificial intelligence to monitor alarming behaviors between kids in over 120 games. ProtectMe specifically looks for context; it can tell the difference between a playful jab and an actual threat.
At the end of each week, the software generates a report which is sent to the parents alerting them to any concerning behaviors from — or towards — their child.
With ProtectMe by Kidas you can monitor your child’s online social gaming habits without disrupting their fun.
Learn More…
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program Honored in 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now entering it’s Eighth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program
Excellence in Public Safety
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The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement, dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.
(Child exploitation cases have skyrocketed, presenting agencies like the Seattle Police Department with a massive challenge to save more children from these heinous crimes. This story is about a few officers in Seattle, WA, but their narrative is a strong reminder that there are good cops everywhere solving heinous crimes and putting their lives on the line for citizens worldwide. Courtesy of Cellebrite and YouTube.)
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Training programs delivered by ICAC training providers are essential in providing the federal, state, and local agencies, that make up the ICAC Task Force Program, with the tools, and techniques necessary to develop an effective response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and internet crimes against children.
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ICAC training providers also have an extensive catalog of e-learning and classroom training programs available to ICAC members.
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One of the best tools to prevent internet crimes against children is education.
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Educating the public through the development and delivery of public awareness and prevention programs is also one of the many important initiatives of the ICAC Task Force Program. For example, in 2018, members of the ICAC delivered more than 13,400 community outreach presentations to local communities across the nation.
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To become a member, access or browse training opportunities, or register for upcoming training opportunities, please click here.
Homeland Security remains at the forefront of our national conversation as we experience an immigration crisis along our southern border and crime rates that are dramatically higher than before the Pandemic across the United States.
These challenges have become a national priority with an influx of investments in innovative new technologies and systems.
Enter American Security Today, the #1 publication and media platform in the Government Security and Homeland Security fields, with a circulation of over 75,000 readers and many tens of thousands more who visit our AST website at www.americansecuritytoday.com each month.
The pinnacle of the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Ceremony Luncheon Banquet, an exclusive, full-course plated meal event, in the heart of New York City.
This year’s exclusive sold-out ‘ASTORS’ luncheon featured representatives of law enforcement, public safety, and industry leaders who came together to honor the selfless service of those who stand on the front lines, and those who stand beside them – providing the capabilities and technologies to create a safer world for generations to come.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which came out in force, to discuss comprehensive collaborations between private and public sectors that have led to the development of intelligence and technologies which serve to protect our nation.
The continually evolving ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program emphasized the trail of Accomplished Women in Leadership in 2022, as well as the Significance and Positive Impact of Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in our Next Generation of Government and Industry Leaders.
The keynote address was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) Diane Sabatino, who described the changes to CBP through the tragedy of 9/11 and the relentless commitment to its mission and ongoing investment in the latest technologies and innovations to protect our borders and Homeland.
The resounding theme of the DEAC’s remarks was her pride in the women and men of the CBP and their families who support them.
AST was also joined by Legendary Police Commissioner William Bratton, who spoke, as always, about his love for the City of New York, the Profession of law enforcement to which he has dedicated his life, and for which he continues to drive thought leadership and innovation.
New York City Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Department Kenneth Corey, came out to address Luncheon attendees and shared some of his experiences and the changes in policing he’s witnessed over his more than three decades of service.
FDNY Chief Joseph Jardin honored the men and women of the FDNY, not only those who currently serve but all of those who have selflessly served, with a special recognition of those lost on 9/11.
Chief Jardin spoke about the continuing health battle of many following 9/11 with cancer and respiratory disease, yet now knowing the full consequences, would not have made a different decision to respond.
As Chief Jardin noted, mission-driven service is in the lifeblood of every firefighter, volunteer and sworn and has been so throughout the history of the Fire Service.
Former head of the FBI’s active shooter program, Katherine Schweit joined AST to sign complimentary copies of her book, ‘STOP THE KILLING: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis,’ thanks to the generosity of our 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Sponsors.
The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by NEC National Security Systems (NSS), ATI Systems, Automatic Systems of America, guardDog AI, Fortior Solutions, IPVideo Corporation, Rajant Corporation, RX Global, and SIMS Software!
We were pleased to welcome the esteemed New York City Fire Department (FDNY); the New York City Police Department (NYPD); and the NYC Hospital Police, as well as Executive Management from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and many other DHS agencies, Federal law enforcement agencies, and private/public partnerships such as the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), the 30×30 Initiative, a coalition of professionals advancing the representation of women in policing; and Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) (rail safety advocates).
The prestigious Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program highlights the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
In 2022 over 240 distinguished guests representing Federal, State, and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms gathered from across North America, Europe, and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields.
Each year, to keep our communities safe and secure, security dealers, installers, integrators, and consultants, along with corporate, government, and law enforcement/first responder practitioners, convene in New York City to network, learn and evaluate the latest technologies and solutions from premier exhibiting brands at ISC East, the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management Expo (NDEM EXPO), and the ASIS NYC Expo.
ISC East is the Northeast’s leading security & public safety event, hosted in collaboration with sponsor Security Industry Association (SIA) and in partnership with ASIS NYC.
Corporate firms, the majority of which return year to year to build upon their Legacy of Wins, include:
Advanced Detection Technologies, AMAROK, ATI Systems, Axis Communications, Automatic Systems, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., Cellbusters, CornellCookson, CyberArk Fortior Solutions, guardDog.ai, Hanwha Techwin of America, High Rise Escape Systems, IPVideo Corporation, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, NEC National Security Systems, NICE Public Safety, OnSolve, PureTech Systems, Quantum Corporation, Rave Mobile Safety, Regroup Mass Notification, Robotic Assistance Devices, Rajant Corporation, SafeLogic, Select Engineering Services LLC, Singlewire Software, SolarWinds Worldwide, Teledyne FLIR, Valor Systems, and West Virginia American Access Control Systems, just to name a few!
Why American Security Today?
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old-school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as firms allied to the government.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers’ eyes throughout the story with cutting-edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.
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‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’
AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
These experts are from Government at the federal, state, and local levels as well as from private firms allied to the government.
AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, Be On the LookOut for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2022 ‘A Year in Review’.
The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.
It will serve as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2022 Products and Services’ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware, and Networking Security – to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It will also include featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
To view a complete list of 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners begin here.
For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
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