Whether you’re competing in tournaments or killing a few spare minutes on your phone, it’s important to stay safe when playing online. Unfortunately, internet criminals have honed their skills so much and can always be around the corner.
The good news is that there are things you can do to protect yourself and not let anything disturb your gameplay. With that said, let’s look at security tips for online players that’ll keep hackers at bay.
Know Your Games
One of the most important things to do when playing online is to make sure your games are legitimate. Just because you found a mobile game that looks cool, it doesn’t mean it’s safe to download. Look at the number of downloads and reviews. If you notice anything sketchy, looking for another game might be a good idea.
If you’ve heard of a new game that’s not on large platforms such as Steam and Epic Games, always double-check its security measures. If you can’t find information on protecting players, it’s better to look elsewhere.
This kind of security is also extremely important when gambling online. Always look for proven casino gaming sites that other players in your area are engaging with. Let’s say you want to find a good offshore online casino. The safe and secure sites that have been listed by Techopedia are licenced in Curacao and Panama, meaning they are just as safe as locally-licenced sites. You can now even hide your identity when spinning slots or playing poker online by joining an anonymous casino.
Use Strong Passwords
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, you know the importance of strong passwords. Long gone are the days when you were safe with simple passwords like your date of birth or the name of your pet.
Protect your accounts with passwords that are at least 12 characters long and include letters, numbers, and symbols. Ideally, you’ll be able to come up with something that’s not recognizable as a word or phrase.
In the current environment on the web, it’s never a smart thing to have a single password you recycle every time you register at a website or create an account on a gaming platform. If you can, use a unique password for each of your accounts. If not, still try to have at least a few. Using a password manager that keeps track of all your combinations is also an option.
Another thing you can do is make a habit of changing your passwords regularly as an extra precaution. Repeat this every few months and never wait for alerts of suspicious logins to do so.
Click with Caution
One of the most common schemes cybercriminals use is setting up bad links for you to click on. Quite often, these links lead to fraudulent sites that have been designed to steal your personal information. This is known as phishing and is one of the most dangerous hacking techniques of today. With that said, paying extra attention to any links you click on is a must.
While this is a general rule for being online, you have to be extremely careful when gaming. It’s not unusual for hackers to offer cheat codes and hacks as bait and wait for you to click on them. Sometimes, they may even send these links to you in a private message, hoping you’ll fall for it.
When playing online, you may find all kinds of sketchy links on the same pages you play on. They’ll often claim you’ve won a prize. The general rule is — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. As long as you play on legitimate websites, you won’t have to think about this, though.
Share with Care
Gaming online means you’ll often have to share your personal information when creating your account. Be cautious when providing sensitive info such as your name, address, date of birth, and credit card details. Legitimate gaming platforms will only ask for data they really need.
Hackers use all kinds of techniques to get their hands on other players’ accounts. Sometimes, this may even include accessing the game and pretending to be an admin. Usually, the game will ban cybercriminals who do this right away but make sure you’re not that one player who they managed to trick before they got caught.
Another important topic to tackle is chat rooms and forums related to online games. If you’re playing on the web, chances are you’ll have the need to go and look up something in places like this. When doing so, never share your account details with third-party websites or other people. Internet criminals may even pretend that they’re offering help but all they want is access to your account and everything that comes with it.
Arm Your Device with Protection
Luckily, there are so many tools you can use to stay safe when gaming online. Whether you’re playing on a desktop or phone, it’s easy to arm yourself with protection.
Start by installing reputable antivirus software and updating it regularly. Most of them offer bundle options that’ll keep all your devices secured. They’ll detect any suspicious programs and block them before they get a chance to hurt your device and expose your information.
Using a VPN has emerged as one of the extra ways to stay safe online. It hides your real IP address and helps you stay anonymous while online. Additionally, it helps you bypass geo-restrictions and access games that are unavailable in your area.
Lastly, never skip updating your operating system when there’s a new version available. They don’t only provide new features and fix bugs but also introduce changes to the security systems, some of which may be crucial to helping you stay safe online while playing.
Conclusion
Gaming online is all about having fun but it doesn’t look like hackers will stop ruining the experience for everyone anytime soon. While keeping everyone safe is up to the games and platforms, it’s important to do everything you can to protect yourself. Follow the tips we listed in this article and make sure you never fall victim to cybercriminals.
