All those exclusive skins and rare loot we amass when playing our favorite online games make them tempting targets for hackers. On top of reselling those accounts and denying you access, they could use the associated personal and payment info to commit financial fraud or identity theft.
Securing your accounts is a no-brainer, but what’s the most painless way to do so? Our in-depth, hassle-free guide has you covered.
Ways Gamers Can Keep Their Accounts Safe
Gaming accounts are goldmines for hackers. They contain personal details, payment information, and valuable in-game items. Keeping your account safe isn’t just smart—it’s essential. Here’s how you can protect your gaming world from digital threats.
1. Use Passwords that Actually Do Their Job
Passwords carry a lot of weight for gamers. They’re the last line of defense between the hundreds of games in your Steam library or the Valorant account you spent thousands of hours building up and hackers who’d take it all away.
Protecting your accounts with strong, unique passwords is a must. Strong means they must be long and use a mix of numbers, upper and lowercase letters, and symbols so no one can crack them with brute force. Passwords must be unique because any time one gets compromised, all other accounts with the same one are at risk.
Coming up with and remembering passwords that look nonsensical to humans would definitely be a hassle. Luckily, a password manager can do all the heavy lifting. You can set one up in minutes on your computer and browser.
The add-on shop offers password managers for Firefox, Chrome, and other browsers. Use this handy tool to create unhackable passwords for all your gaming and other accounts. Generating new ones is easy, and you can sync the manager across devices to easily switch from your PC to a laptop, etc.
2. Secure Your Gaming Accounts with 2FA
An account can be secure on your end, but what about gaming companies? Epic suffered a breach a few years back that exposed thousands of Fortnite players’ account and credit card details. There’s not much you can do about companies’ weak security practices, but you can make sure no one can access your account by enabling 2FA.
Two-factor authentication is a standard security measure for most platforms and online video games. It lets you link your phone to the account and allows login requests to go through only if you provide the code received via phone. While this won’t prevent someone from hacking a developer’s database, it will alert you to failed login attempts and let you lock hackers out with a new password.
3. Don’t Get Phished
Hacks like the one above are serious, but they’re not the primary way cybercriminals take over gaming accounts. Instead, they send thousands of emails to unaware users and hope someone bites. These emails usually urge you to fix a problem with your account or claim a game-related prize. All you have to do is visit a knock-off website and enter your credentials. Next thing you know, you can’t log into your account or find all your best items stolen.
Several signs point to phishing emails. Why would a gaming company you registered an account with need to know info they can already access? Legitimate emails will never ask for account details and will address you by your (account) name. Be sure also to check the address itself. For example, Steam’s customer support email is “[email protected].” The fake email might replace the .com with .org, tricking you into believing it’s legit if you don’t pay attention.
4. Mind How You Game on the Go
Ever had the urge to sneak in a Counter-Strike match or three on a business trip or during downtime on vacation? If so, you’ve likely used one of the many public Wi-Fi options nowadays. Doing anything that involves exposing your credentials over public Wi-Fi is a bad idea, including gaming. Since anyone can log on, someone can also monitor the network and all the juicy info you share over it.
Go for mobile data instead since the connection is much more secure. Say you are traveling to Europe — hit up a European eSIM beforehand to select a provider with the best signal strength and most affordable data packages. The Nintendo Switch and some laptops don’t have built-in eSIM chips, but you can always turn your smartphone into a mobile hotspot and connect that way.
5. Keep Your Deets to Yourself
Your accounts are no one else’s business, and they’re likelier to remain safe if you keep it that way. Don’t be tempted to share login details with friends, especially the ones you only know through Discord, Twitch, or social media.
Stick to neutral and game-related topics when you engage with others online. You never know who might be angling for your real-life information or asking leading questions to try and guess your passwords. Stay on top of in-game scams and report suspicious activity to mods or developers.
Conclusion
Properly securing your gaming accounts takes little time and effort, but the payout is totally worth it. Lock your accounts down using what you’ve learned here, and enjoy worry-free gaming from now on. Cybersecurity is like creating a fortress around your online existence – each construct is a shield. Stay informed, be proactive, and game on with peace of mind!
