It is a fact that online gaming has become a major part of the entertainment sector in recent years. In fact, Statista estimates that there are approximately 1.1 billion online gamers globally. To add on, the same study by Statista reveals that the revenue of this market increased by 9.8% between 2022 and 2023, meaning that the numbers are really growing. Whether you are playing your favorite casino game on your phone or walking through a fantasy realm, who doesn’t really love a good online game?
Now, we all know that even as technology advances, online spaces are not the safest places. Actually, a report by Gitnux reveals that the video game industry is the second most targeted industry for cyber-attacks with 40% of gamers having experienced a hacking on their account.
It now calls for people to actually find gaming platforms that offer the highest form of security and regulations to help reduce cybersecurity issues. For example, there are reviews where you can see an expert ranking of the safest online casinos in Hong Kong if you are a casino gamer there.
Anyway, apart from just finding safe platforms, there are a number of strategies you can employ when playing online games to ensure that you remove yourself from harm’s way. If you are looking for such, this is just the right article for you.
Use strong passwords
If you have interacted with tech-savvy people before, you might have heard them say that having a strong password is very important. You see, many people are either too lazy to create a new password every time they have a new account or are very forgetful. This makes them keep on repeating passwords all across their accounts or use weak ones.
Well, a study by GoodFirms report that three out of ten of internet users have had their data reached due to weak passwords. Again, the same report by Gitnux actually shows that 61% of gamers have one password for different accounts. This is risky business! Makes it really easy for bad actors to forcefully access your accounts.
But what is a strong password? IT guys suggest that your password should be at least 12 characters, with a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Ideally, it should not be a recognizable word or phrase since hackers can get that easily.
Now, the problem is, “How does someone remember the complex passwords?” This is where password managers come in. Today, many web browsers and smartphones have password managers where you can store any number of passwords. In fact, a report by Bitwarden shows that 50% of password manager users started doing so because of security reasons. Well, good password managers will even suggest strong passwords for you.
Turn on the MFA
Multi-factor authentication is very important when it comes to using the internet. This means that there are a number of layers to go through before you can access an account. In short, this means that there are more security layers.
Well, a study by Microsoft claimed that MFA reduces the possibility of an account being compromised with 99% of MFA-enabled accounts remaining secure during the time of investigation. The report also claims that even with leaked credentials, 98.56% of tested accounts remained secure.
MFA includes biometrics such as fingerprint and face ID scans, apps that send you a unique one-time code or security keys. Our recommendation is that you use an MFA whenever it is presented. Make it hard for the crooks.
Stay anonymous
Are you playing with people you don’t know? Then, don’t use your real identity. Nobody needs to know your real name or personal information. Unless they have a hidden agenda, which might not be any good, all they need to know is how awesome you are at the game.
For example, some of the popular names you might have encountered when playing esports include “Gotcha,” “Canadian,” and “MoNsTcR,” among other crazy names. You see, you only know the exploits of the gamer but really never know the gamer. That’s how it should be.
The worst thing about threat actors is that they use any small piece of information that is tied to you and use it to target you online. You should have a name that does not have any ties to any digital footprints with your real name.
Another thing that you should not do is share your information with people you just met online. When playing multiplayer games, it is common to make friends with people from your team while collaborating to fulfill game objectives. However, it doesn’t mean that because you have built a fortress together, then they are a safe space. If you want to be safe, treat everybody online as a suspect. With that, your personal information remains safe.
Keep your gaming software up-to-date
It is always advisable to regularly update your software with the latest software updates by the company. Since technology keeps evolving, cyber threats also keep on advancing. By downloading the latest update, you have access to the latest security patches that may be fixing unknown vulnerabilities. This also works with antivirus programs. Always keep them up-to-date for the best experience.
Wrapping up
It is true that the online gaming sector has rapidly grown and it is also very try that security threats have also increased. It is therefore necessary that you perform your due diligence and make sure that you are doing all that is necessary to keep safe when gaming.