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Huge spike in hacking attempts following Xbox One, PS4 launch

Cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab estimates an average of 34,000 attacks per day; 4.6 million total pieces of malware detected so far this year.

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Since the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in November, cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab has detected a huge spike in hacking attempts across numerous platforms, the company has said.

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Hackers have launched an average of 34,000 attacks per day across the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and other game platforms, a Kaspersky Lab representative told Consumer Affairs.

In total, the cyber security firm found 4.6 million pieces of gaming-focused malware against the various game systems. In Europe specifically, Spain drew the most attention, with 138,786 attacks so far in 2013, the company said.

"We've just seen two of the biggest console launches ever, with the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One," Kaspersky Lab senior security researcher David Emm said. "That means there will be more gamers for criminals to target, especially as the Sony and Microsoft machines increasingly use the Internet for a fuller gaming experience. And don't forget the PC, still the most popular gaming platform and cyber crooks' favorite target."

Microsoft and Sony have not commented publicly about hacking attempts against their consoles so far. We've reached out to both companies regarding this new report and will update this story with anything we hear back.

Ubisoft is working with Kaspersky Lab on its upcoming open-world action game Watch Dogs.

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