Multiplayer Gaming Targeted By Intelligence Agencies

In yet more Edward J. Snowden leaks, it has come to light due to news stories by the Guardian, New York Times, and website Propublica that the Intelligence agencies of the USA and UK have been intercepting and analysing traffic of games such as Special Forces 2, Americas Army, World of Warcraft and Second Life alongside services such as Xbox Live! 

Using open source network analysis tools the UK intelligence service based at Goverment Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the American National Security Agency (NSA) have been intercepting and analysing internet traffic in online games in a deliberate attempt to identify and track players they suspect of using the "private" communication features of multiplayer games for nefarious means.

It should be said though that in a publication by the Broookings institute Peter W Singer pointed out that since games are made to track players identities and activities so that they can be billed it makes little sense for terror groups to use the likes of WoW as secret communications media since “there are far more effective and easier ways to do so than putting on a troll avatar.”

In an odd little aside, the techniques used in this analysis , when reversed, would mimic the packet insertion techniques used by item dupers and bot authors back in the 90s.