Learning about the inner workings of Minecraft through an educational modding course can not only allow children and young adults to enhance their enjoyment of one of the most popular games ever made but also help to keep their computers and online details safe.

Whilst the standard vanilla releases of Minecraft (both Java and Bedrock) are completely safe to play, modifications to the game can sometimes not only contain the code to change your game and add new features but can have undocumented, malicious code.

In June 2023, a particularly nasty virus known as fractureiser spread throughout CurseForge, one of the biggest repositories of Minecraft mods, infecting several popular plugins in the process.

This particular virus infected all Java JAR files, stole login information, stole Mojang and Microsoft account details, replaced cryptocurrency addresses with one owned by the attacker, Discord information and uploaded it to a server.

Whilst the community worked quickly to stop this particularly vicious attack, it does highlight the importance of keeping safe online and making sure you avoid downloading and activating malware that could have particularly nasty side effects.

Make sure you have anti-virus software, an anti-malware tool and a trusted advert blocker installed to avoid the most obvious forms of attack. Alongside this, get into the habit of regularly updating your operating system to remove the potential for virus attacks.

As well as this, stick to trusted, reputable sources. The vast majority of well-known mod creators have official websites and a broad internet footprint. They have existed for a long time in the community and will typically have a wide number of reviews and comments.

Even with fractureiser, which affected some popular mods, the community reacted quickly and fixes were quickly posted.