The Online Gaming Risks You Might Not Be Aware Of

If you love online gaming, you’re likely no stranger to the thrill of competition. While it’s a lot of fun to play games online, there are serious risks that you must know about. For example, did you know that 1 in 5 Steam users had their accounts hacked in 2021 alone? This means around 30 million compromised accounts!

To help you safeguard both your peace and your gaming accounts — let’s talk about the most common threats you may face online. By the end, you will know what to avoid, what will likely compromise your experience, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Phishing is a cyber-attack where attackers send you emails to trick you. These texts appear to be from your gaming platform or a game developer. They often ask you to provide sensitive info about your accounts, like your login credentials or credit card details, too.

For example, you might receive an email that says, “Your account has been compromised, please click here to reset your password.” This sounds… urgent, right? Wrong. This is a phishing scam that is designed to deceive you and make you reveal your login credentials.

Then there comes social engineering. This is a type of attack that exploits human psychology to gain access to your sensitive information. Attackers might use tactics like email spoofing, phone calls, or even in-game chat to trick you into revealing your login credentials or other sensitive information.

For example, an attacker might pose as a game developer and ask you to provide your login credentials to “fix a problem” with your account.

Attackers might also resort to using software to guess your login credentials. This is often done through brute force attacks, where the bad guys try millions of combinations of usernames and passwords until they guess correctly.

Another threat to online gaming is ransomware. This type of malware encrypts your files and demands a ransom in exchange for the decryption key. While it’s common for you to face ransomware, game devs and big companies are also at risk.

For example, in 2021, the popular game developer CD Projekt Red, known for The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, suffered a ransomware attack. The attackers stole source code and sensitive data and then demanded a ransom. Although the company did not pay, the attack caused significant disruption and data leaks.

In addition to these threats, online gamers should be aware of SQL injection attacks. This type of attack involves injecting malicious code into a website’s database to gain access to sensitive information.

Be careful about entering your account details or personal info on gaming websites. Always make sure they’re trustworthy and secure to avoid SQL injection attacks

So, what can you do to protect yourself from these cybersecurity threats? Here are a few tips:

• Use unique and complex passwords. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts. Use a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.
• Consider using a passkey. If you are wondering what a passkey is, it’s a passwordless technology that helps you enter credentials without ever having to remember passwords. 
• Enable two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of security to your account. 2FA prompts you to enter a code sent to your phone or email and your login credentials.
• Be cautious of suspicious emails. If you receive an email or message that seems oddly too urgent, don’t click on any links or provide sensitive info.
• Keep your software up to date. Regularly update your system, browser, and other software. Remember that the updates rollout has the latest security patches.

While playing games online may be a thrilling pastime, it is not without its risks. You may have fun playing games without worrying about cybercrime if you know what to look out for and how to protect yourself during your playtime.

Be wary of unfamiliar senders, use complex passwords, and activate two-factor authentication. Also, the most recent software versions for security patches should always be available. Follow these guidelines, and you can enjoy online gaming without fear of threats like phishing, social engineering, account hijacking, and more.