How to shield your gaming account from hackers – Hackers, trolls, and other bad actors all threaten your gaming accounts. With control of your gaming account, a cybercriminal could make purchases in your name or sell your precious in-game items.
They could also use your account to spy on your friends, impersonate you to steal your money or trick people you trust into downloading malware like viruses and ransomware.
Similarly, a troll can use your account to learn more about you and dox you. Doxing, of course, is a dangerous practice that can put your security and privacy at risk. Some trolls can also use your data to threaten your life with swatting.
These are just a few reasons why you need to shield your gaming account from hackers. Here are a few tips that may help:
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Tip #1 Spot Phishing Emails
Hackers can use fake emails to convince you into sharing your sensitive information like the usernames and passwords to your gaming accounts. For example, you may receive a fake email that appears to be from Sony, asking for your PlayStation account login credentials to take advantage of a discount. Please remember that no official platform will ask for your personal data by email.
Some hackers will also try to infect your system with privacy-invading malware. Let’s look at some malicious software you need to watch out for:
- Spyware can allow someone to read see your sensitive information. Use a spyware scanner to block such threats.
- Keyloggers log your keystrokes, including your usernames and passwords, and send them to hackers—download good anti-malware software to protect yourself from keyloggers.
- Trojans are nasty malware that hide behind software that looks authentic. A good antivirus tool with anti-malware technology will block most Trojans, including Trojan-Game Thief — which steals gamer accounts.
Tip #2 Adopt Good Password Practices
Many cyber criminals use brute force attack tools to hack simple passwords in seconds. This type of attack tries countless known passwords in a short period. To counter such techniques, you need to set a sophisticated password as well as 2-step verification.
Tip #3 Use Secure Software
Whether you’re gaming on a PC or mobile device, please always use authentic software for the following reasons:
- You usually can’t update unlicensed software and will miss out on critical security patches. Many viruses, Trojans, and spyware rely on unpatched flaws to breach a system.
- Unlicensed software often carries malware that may attack your gaming account.
- Some unauthentic software asks for unnecessary permissions in order to read your messages and uncover your usernames and passwords.
Tip #4 Avoid Public WiFi
While you may want to use Public WiFi at parks and shopping malls when gaming on the go, such unsecured networks are targets of hackers who can find ways to breach your gaming accounts. If you must game on public WiFi, please use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask your location and encrypt your data.
Remember, free VPNs usually do little to protect your account and are often too slow for games. Try a top VPN that uses WireGuard for the best security and gaming speeds.
A threat actor can take all the fun out of gaming in an instant. Slow them down by adopting appropriate safety measures and the most secure software.
