Online gaming has grown more and more popular in the most recent years. With streamers on YouTube and Twitch bursting onto the scene, and casual gamers letting their day-to-day life stress melt away with online gameplay, who DOESN’T want to game online? Online gaming tips are explained in this article.
However, like anything online, online games can be subject to hackings. With hackings happening more and more these days, it’s no surprise that video games have, unfortunately, been targeted for such criminal activity.
In this article, we’ll further explain hacking in online gaming, and how you can prevent hackers from ruining your video game fun.
Why The Hacking?
“Nowadays, hackers will tap into virtually anything that’s electronic,” says Jonathan Benson, a tech writer at Elite assignment help and UK Services Reviews. “Now, hackers are known to hack into gaming companies, since those companies hold the valuable information of their consumers – the gamers. Since many gamers plug in their payment information to buy games, make in-game purchases, and so on, hackers will take advantage of this.”
How else are hackers trying to get into video games?
“Hackers will also create malware disguised as power-ups, weapon skins, or character skins,” adds Benson. “These are called cheat software, because they’re designed to trick gamers into using them for quick ‘boosts’ in video games, when in actuality, they’re meant to give their gaming devices malware. All unsuspecting players have to do is download the software, and then disable antivirus programs and firewalls to complete installation. From there, hackers will take over the device and steal sensitive data.”
5 Helpful Tips For Hacker Prevention
So, now that you know how dangerous video game hacking can be, how can you prevent these hackers from disrupting your online gaming experience?
You’re in luck! Up next, we’ll show you 5 helpful tips on how you – the gamer – can stay safe from hackers when online gaming.
Press “Start” to continue!
1. Don’t Give Out Personal Info
First, your personal information is yours and yours alone. You should never share your personal info online, even when gaming online. That means keeping the following personal info out of things like usernames and passwords:
- Your real name
- Your birthdate
- Your phone number
- Your address, etc.
Cybercriminals will take advantage of your usernames and passwords, if your personal info is present in them.
2-Factor Authentication
There’s nothing wrong with adding an extra layer of protection, when it comes to your passwords. So, in your gaming account, if the platform asks you to enable 2-factor authentication, DO SO. 2-factor authentication usually comes in the following forms:
- A QR code you can scan with your phone
- A verification code that you can enter when you send it to your phone or email
- A secret question with a secret answer, etc.
3. Look At Your Privacy Settings
If you haven’t looked at your privacy settings, then take a moment to do so. On some online PC games, you’ll join campaigns with gamers – locally, regionally, and or globally. If someone sends you a friend request out of nowhere, be skeptical. Don’t automatically accept friend requests, even if you think that there’s nothing wrong with the user.
4. No Pirating Or Cheating!
Never pirate online games. Plus, downloading cheat software is a big NO-No. Pirated games and cheat software are incredibly subject to having malware. Needless to say, it’s not worth cheating, and it’s not worthy pirating a game, if there are so many risks in doing so.
5. Using Gaming Antivirus Software
“The good news is, antivirus software is available for gaming, especially when you game online,” says Dennis Carter, a tech blogger at Academized review and Academ advisor. “Not only will an antivirus software make your online gaming experience more secure, but it’ll also increase the performance of your rig. Antivirus software like McAfee Gamer Security look into the Cloud to track and stop hackers from attempting to send you malware. In addition, this software helps to optimize resources, so that frame drops are prevented during your gameplay.”
BONUS: Use A VPN When Gaming
A virtual private network (VPN) makes it impossible for hackers to know what you’re seeing and accessing online. With a VPN, your IP address and traffic are encrypted for hackers. As a result, you’ll be protected from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and other malicious activities.
Conclusion
Online gaming can be a lot safer from hackings, when extra steps are taken. By following this brief guide, your online gaming experience will be successful.
Game on!
Also read about: 5 great video games based on your favorite flicks
