Over 1 billion people worldwide regularly play online games. Unfortunately, the emergence of high-quality games, multiple gaming mediums, and online communities has prompted gamers to overlook the dark side of online gaming.
So, if you play games online on your computer, console, or smartphone, you’re more likely to fall victim to phishing, DDoS, credential stuffing, and other attacks than ever before.
In this post, we’ll share five recommended cybersecurity solutions and practices for online gamers.
5 Recommended Cybersecurity Solutions and Practices for Online Gamers
Secure Your Gaming Accounts
Many modern online games require creating accounts and storing your financial details and personal data. Although developers and gaming companies employ advanced security protocols, they don’t guarantee 100% protection. Hence, you must be extra vigilant and protect your accounts from hacks and data breaches. You can do that by:
- Creating strong and unique passwords for every account, preferably using a password manager;
- Enabling two or multi-factor authentication upon login;
- Logging out after gaming or purchasing, etc.
With these simple practices, you can drastically reduce the chances of a hacker stealing your credentials or making unauthorized purchases using your credit or debit card.
Avoid Sharing Personal Details on Games and Gaming Communities
Did you know hackers can steal your personal data and identity using the details you provide on your gaming accounts, forums, and other channels? This includes things such as your:
- Name;
- Email address;
- Social security number;
- Contact number;
- Address, etc.
So, you should avoid oversharing when gaming online, especially with strangers from different parts of the world. For many hackers, online games are hunting grounds where they actively look for vulnerable gamers and entice them into revealing personal information for identity theft, stalking, abuse, and other cybercrimes.
Purchase Games from Trusted Online Stores
The last thing you want to do as an online gamer is download or purchase games from third-party sites, even if they offer discounts, cheat mods, and other perks. Unregulated software can easily double as a trojan horse carrying malware or spyware.
So, when shopping online for games for your console (Xbox, PlayStation, etc.), PC, or smartphone, always purchase from official stores and trusted vendors. Ideally, you should opt for these options:
- Google Play Store for Android games;
- Apple App Store for Mac and iOS games;
- Steam, Origin, Microsoft Store, and Uplay for Windows-supported games;
- PlayStation Store for PS3, PS4, and PS5 games, etc.
Secure Your Devices and Network
If you play online games on your smartphone or computer, you should download and install a powerful cybersecurity suite to identify and eliminate viruses. You can find hundreds of options online for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, each offering unique benefits for gamers, including:
- Low system impact to ensure optimal gaming experience;
- Multi-platform support for multiple gaming devices;
- Firewall protection;
- Automated monitoring and anti-malware protection, etc.
If you actively play online games at home or in public places like gaming arenas, schools, or airports, use tools like the best VPNs for gaming to hide your IP address, location, and traffic from digital intruders.
Opt for Automatic System Updates and Optimize Your Console Settings
Unfortunately, many online gamers fail to regularly update their gaming hardware and software, inviting hackers to look for vulnerabilities and infiltrate their systems. So, another way to make your gaming experience safer is by simply turning automatic updates on.
Additionally, when you purchase a new gaming console or title, check its security and privacy settings. Often, default settings don’t provide optimal protection. With quick customization, you can improve security by limiting the information you share, such as your location or name.
The Bottom Line
The recent surge in online gaming is actively drawing more gamers into the market. However, at the same time, it’s leading to a serious rise in cybersecurity attacks targeting gamers. You must proactively learn how to make your gaming experience safer. Hopefully, with the cybersecurity solutions and practices above, you can avoid exposing personal and financial information to cyber criminals.
