Gaming is quickly becoming the top favorite pastime for many people in the developed world. Fast internet connections and advancing gaming tech have made online gaming hugely popular, offering realistic experiences and quality entertainment that are especially welcome in a pandemic-stricken world.
But while gaming with friends online affords a pleasant temporary escape from the horrors of the world and all the tragedies that newscasters never tire of telling us, it also presents ample opportunities for the less scrupulous among us to perpetrate scams on unsuspecting gamers.
From the risks of hacking and malware infection to social engineering attacks, the danger of falling prey to fraudulent schemes is ever-present for the online gaming community.
Luckily, as the risks of online gaming have increased, so have the effectiveness of security measures against the threats looming over the average gamer today.
One of the best steps you can take for guarding yourself while playing games online is to use a VPN service. This list of gaming VPNs by VPNRanks consists of some excellent services that are fully equipped to keep you secure online without affecting your gameplay quality.
In the following sections, we’ll underline the key actions that can help keep you secure from threats targeting gamers.
1.Download games from official sources
Piracy in gaming is exceedingly widespread. Any game that’s ever been released probably has a crack file available on a website other than the official game developer.
In many cases, cracks can infect your system with malware, which in turn not only harms your system but may also steal your private information and relay it back to hackers. While pirated versions are free of cost, they can cause significant losses in the form of a data breach and privacy leaks if the pirated file you download actually ends up being a trojan.
Therefore, it is much safer to download your game files from official and trusted sources to completely avoid the possibility of downloading infected files from unofficial websites.
2.Be careful with administrator-level access
Some video games might require administrator access in order to launch. Any computer program with administrator privilege can control some parts of your computer, which is dangerous if the program is malicious.
You could inadvertently hand over access to a hacker if the game file you downloaded has harmful code hidden in it. Again, the chances of this happening are quite low if you’ve purchased your game through the official website. However, if it’s a free game that you’ve gotten from a source that you have no particular reason to trust, then bear in mind the risks associated with giving administrator rights to the game before you go ahead.
3. Strong Passwords
Nothing is easier for a hacker than guessing a poorly thought password. The most important step you can take for your online security is to make it difficult for hackers to exploit you. To a hacker, an easy password is an open invitation for them to use and access the account they’re targeting.
So, make sure that your passwords are sufficiently sophisticated, using a combination of different alphabets, numbers, and case. It is also important to never share your password with anyone.
“Technology has made people lazy, so much so that many people don’t bother making any effort when creating passwords. But it’s important to remember that in the cyber-world, there is often a trade-off between convenience and security. Small steps like ensuring strong passwords can go a long way in preventing most cyberattacks whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a regular internet user”, Osama Tahir, VPNRanks.
4. Use VPNs
VPNs are important tools for helping secure your data and privacy from malicious actors on the web. When you’re connected to a VPN, your real IP address is hidden from any third-party that might be keeping tabs on you online.
With your IP address hidden, it’s exceedingly difficult for hackers to identify you and thus decreasing the chances of your gaming accounts being compromised by a hacker.
However, gamers often feel skeptical about using a VPN while gaming since these can affect your ping. In online gaming, even a minor difference in latency can have a huge impact on your framerate and gameplay.
Nonetheless, if you have a fast enough internet connection and a top-rated VPN service, you’re hardly going to see any difference in your ping at all when connected to a VPN while gaming. Investing in a good VPN is therefore an effective strategy for staying safe on the web.
5. Keep anti-malware and firewalls enabled
Antimalware programs and firewalls often take up a good chunk of your computer resources; and that compels many gamers to shut these down to boost game performance.
While there’s no doubt that terminating any programs running in the background can improve the performance of your game, it also opens you up to the greater risk of malware infections and other online threats.
You need proactive security to minimize the risks of infections and keeping your real-time anti-malware shields activated at all times is the best step you can take for proactive security.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity awareness has become essential for gamers due to the increasing trend of social engineering and hacking attacks against gamers. While foolproof security is impossible to attain, if you employ the common sense tips mentioned above, there’s a good chance you’ll remain out of hackers’ crosshairs.
