The gaming industry's newest enemy isn't a final boss—it's the AI powering the game itself. For years, cybersecurity meant stopping cheaters and protecting data. But as games evolve into AI-driven experiences, the models themselves have become the primary target. Now, by manipulating the core logic, attackers can corrupt games from the inside out, exploiting a vulnerability most leaders have yet to recognize.

Temi Adebambo, the CISO for Microsoft Gaming, sees this shift firsthand. His work securing a portfolio that includes Xbox, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft for over 500 million users gives him a clear view of the next major threat. With two decades of experience at the center of technological transformation for firms like Amazon Web Services and Deloitte, he understands precisely what is coming next. For Adebambo, the real danger emerges when AI itself becomes a vulnerability.

"Games that use AI to generate content in real time—that's the next frontier we need to be prepared to secure. It's very different from every other industry because the product itself is potentially an AI product," Adebambo says. By manipulating the game's core logic, attackers corrupt the creative experience from within. But the vulnerability hasn't gone unnoticed, he says.

• High score, high stakes: "Nation-state attackers certainly do target our infrastructure. Usually, they're looking to mine coin or execute ransomware," Adebambo explains. Meanwhile, a successful attack would be extremely public, he says, creating leverage for a quick payout. "That's something that we have to be more cognizant of within our world." For him, it's a point that crystallizes the entire challenge: securing the game is no longer just about protecting players, but defending a powerful asset on a global stage.

To understand this new reality, Adebambo says, one must grasp the high-pressure world of modern gaming first. Today, that landscape is defined by a sprawling digital footprint, immediate public consequences, and a business model built on trust.

• Everywhere, all at once: The attack landscape for gaming is exceptionally broad, Adebambo explains. "You could be on your mobile phone playing Candy Crush, on your computer downloading World of Warcraft, or playing Call of Duty on your console." The impact of most attacks is often felt within minutes as a result. Meanwhile, the successful takedown of a major title could trigger a social media storm that hits the company’s finances and reputation instantly.

• The parent trap: Trust is the foundation of the business for most gaming companies, Adebambo says. Parents who provide credit card details for downloads expect a safe environment for their children. "A lot of parents support the revenue of game studios, and they won't be a part of it if they don't feel there are good cybersecurity controls where their children are playing."

Now, that model is being tested by a new generation of AI-driven threats, Adebambo explains. But with most security teams in an "escalating arms race" to defend against millions of automated attacks, some are building their own AI tools just to keep pace.

So how do leaders fight a threat that is still taking shape? "There is no perfect answer to this just yet," Adebambo admits. As a replacement, he offers a two-pronged strategy: first, apply proven security fundamentals to new AI models, and second, develop next-generation systems to monitor their behavior.

• Old rules, new tools: The first step involves data controls and identity management, Adebambo says. "You've got to have a strong identity, strong permissions where you only have the least privileges, and data control where you have tags to understand sensitive data."

• An AI for an AI: The second step is to use AI to secure A, he continues. "We can also start looking at AI to secure AI using things like context awareness," he continues. If an attacker takes over an AI, a monitoring layer can detect behavior that deviates from its original intent and intervene.

Such high stakes are precisely what have always shaped Adebambo's core philosophy: security is best when invisible. "In the gaming world, if security is getting in your way, then it is not well-designed," he says. Instead, his solution is a sharp distinction between non-negotiable "cybersecurity" rules and optional "safety" features.

Ultimately, the goal is to balance innovation and protection without positioning security as a barrier to fun, Adebambo concludes. "There are some ground rules that, for the sake of the entire industry and the entertainment we want to consume, we all agree on. You don't want people cheating. You don't want your credit card stolen. That's where we anchor."