Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games

Brian Keegan; Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmed; Dmitri Williams; Jaideep Srivastava; Noshir Contractor

doi:10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36

Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games

Brian Keegan
, Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmed
, Dmitri Williams
, Jaideep Srivastava
, Noshir Contractor

Computer Science and Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

61 Scopus citations

Abstract

Gold farming is a set of illicit practices in which players in massively multiplayer online games gather and distribute virtual goods for real money. Using anonymized data from a popular online game to construct networks of characters involved in gold farming, we examine the trade networks of gold farmers, their trading affiliates, and uninvolved characters at large. Our analysis of these complex networks' connectivity, assortativity, and attack tolerance indicate that farmers exhibit distinctive behavioral signatures which are masked by brokering affiliates. Our findings are compared against a real world drug trafficking network and suggest similarities in both organizations' network structures which reflect similar effects of secrecy, resilience, and efficiency.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Proceedings - SocialCom 2010
Subtitle of host publication	2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust
Pages	201-208
Number of pages	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36
State	Published - 2010
Event	2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2010, 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2010 - Minneapolis, MN, United States Duration: Aug 20 2010 → Aug 22 2010

Publication series

Name	Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust

Other

Other	2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2010, 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2010
Country/Territory	United States
City	Minneapolis, MN
Period	8/20/10 → 8/22/10

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Assortativity
Attack tolerance
Cybercrime
Dark networks
Deviance
EverQuest 2
Gold farming
MMOG
MMORPG
Network analysis
Online games
Real money trade
Scale-free

Publisher link

10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36

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Keegan, B., Ahmed, M. A., Williams, D., Srivastava, J., & Contractor, N. (2010). Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games. In Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust (pp. 201-208). Article 5590455 (Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust). https://doi.org/10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36

Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games. / Keegan, Brian; Ahmed, Muhammad Aurangzeb; Williams, Dmitri et al.
Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust. 2010. p. 201-208 5590455 (Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Keegan, B, Ahmed, MA, Williams, D, Srivastava, J & Contractor, N 2010, Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games. in Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust., 5590455, Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, pp. 201-208, 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, SocialCom 2010, 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust, PASSAT 2010, Minneapolis, MN, United States, 8/20/10. https://doi.org/10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36

Keegan B, Ahmed MA, Williams D, Srivastava J, Contractor N. Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games. In Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust. 2010. p. 201-208. 5590455. (Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust). doi: 10.1109/SocialCom.2010.36

Keegan, Brian ; Ahmed, Muhammad Aurangzeb ; Williams, Dmitri et al. / Dark gold : Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games. Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust. 2010. pp. 201-208 (Proceedings - SocialCom 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Social Computing, PASSAT 2010: 2nd IEEE International Conference on Privacy, Security, Risk and Trust).

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title = "Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games",

abstract = "Gold farming is a set of illicit practices in which players in massively multiplayer online games gather and distribute virtual goods for real money. Using anonymized data from a popular online game to construct networks of characters involved in gold farming, we examine the trade networks of gold farmers, their trading affiliates, and uninvolved characters at large. Our analysis of these complex networks' connectivity, assortativity, and attack tolerance indicate that farmers exhibit distinctive behavioral signatures which are masked by brokering affiliates. Our findings are compared against a real world drug trafficking network and suggest similarities in both organizations' network structures which reflect similar effects of secrecy, resilience, and efficiency.",

keywords = "Assortativity, Attack tolerance, Cybercrime, Dark networks, Deviance, EverQuest 2, Gold farming, MMOG, MMORPG, Network analysis, Online games, Real money trade, Scale-free",

author = "Brian Keegan and Ahmed, \{Muhammad Aurangzeb\} and Dmitri Williams and Jaideep Srivastava and Noshir Contractor",

year = "2010",

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Dark gold: Statistical properties of clandestine networks in massively multiplayer online games

Abstract

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UN SDGs

Keywords

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