7 Security Tips for Gamers
Gamers can expect to be prime targets over the holidays as COVID-19 rages on. Here's some advice on how to keep hackers at bay.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt6d90778a997de1cd/blt0acff26ccc2c09ed/64f0d36476d8234fe020a500/1.jpeg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
It's the most wonderful time of the year for hackers to target home gamers.
In fact, hackers have been hitting gamers harder since the pandemic forced people indoors, according to research by Kaspersky. And all indications are the rate of malicious activity will increase as people stay home through the holidays and the second (hopefully final) wave of the pandemic.
While no one expects everyday gamers to behave like senior security specialists, the following seven tips are easy to follow and will serve as a good start for those looking to up their security game this holiday season — and beyond.
Gamers should not share personal information, such as their birthdays and street addresses, says Curtis Simpson, chief information security officer at Armis. Granted, gaming companies often ask for this information, but it's not necessary to disclose it, he says. Armed with such details, a fraudster could easily set up a phony bank account in a gamer's name -- and it happens all the time, especially to minors.
"It's all about identity theft," Simpson says. "If sharing your birthday is not part of a legal transaction, then you don't have to do it."
This always comes up, yet Armis' Simpson says too many people still don't change the default password on their home routers. Gamers are advised to create a strong password, then check to see what kind of firmware the router uses and make sure they update the firmware and patch regularly. They should also consider subscribing to a DNS service that blocks access to malware-infected websites. When gamers use a DNS service, attackers and malware cannot leverage the known malicious domains to control their systems, hindering their ability to steal user data or cause harm.
Finally, gamers should consider segmenting their networks, Simpson says, though he understands most people don't have the tech chops. Two sound resources to learn more: Bishop Fox's primer on segmenting a home network, and 1E's 20-minute video aimed at work-from-home employees but applies to gamers, too.
Gamers should protect their accounts by using multifactor authentication (MFA) when possible and different passwords for each gaming platform for which they have an account, says Santiago Pontiroli, a security researcher at Kaspersky. They should try to avoid SMS as the second form of authentication and lean toward alternatives such as Google Authenticator or Authy, he advises.
Matt Giberson, a senior sales engineer at TransUnion, says using MFA is the single best move a gamer can make to protect themselves from hackers who are after their credentials.
Gamers are typically on the younger side and more trusting and comfortable with technology. This is why TransUnion's Giberson says they are susceptible to getting lured in by chats. Gamers need to be careful, he says. It's easy for hackers to drop malware in chats or send unsuspecting gamers to fake sign-in websites.
"Unless you have initiated the chat and it's for something specific, don't use the chat feature on the gaming system," Giberson advises.
These include mods, hacks, and trainers, says Kaspersky's Pontiroli. Downloading custom modifications of game characters or "enhanced" games with "cheats" usually puts information at risk because these tools require administrative privileges and have similar functioning as everyday malware, he adds.
What's more, gamers can be banned from games by getting caught using cheats or enhanced modifications, so best to not use them, Armis' Simpson advises. He also says gamers should not use pirated games, which are more than likely loaded with malware. At best, the malware will slow down a system; at worst, it will crash it completely.
Gamers should watch out for scams, especially around widely anticipated releases such as Cyberpunk 2077, Kaspersky's Pontiroli says. Some scams just waste people's time and spin them around a long install process. But others can cause real harm, such as asking for money in exchange for a code or money-making fraud schemes around Steam, one of the most popular platform among gamers. Kaspersky offers tips for buying games online and has also posted a guide for parents on how to monitor their kids' gaming habits.
Gamers should watch out for scams, especially around widely anticipated releases such as Cyberpunk 2077, Kaspersky's Pontiroli says. Some scams just waste people's time and spin them around a long install process. But others can cause real harm, such as asking for money in exchange for a code or money-making fraud schemes around Steam, one of the most popular platform among gamers. Kaspersky offers tips for buying games online and has also posted a guide for parents on how to monitor their kids' gaming habits.
It's the most wonderful time of the year for hackers to target home gamers.
In fact, hackers have been hitting gamers harder since the pandemic forced people indoors, according to research by Kaspersky. And all indications are the rate of malicious activity will increase as people stay home through the holidays and the second (hopefully final) wave of the pandemic.
While no one expects everyday gamers to behave like senior security specialists, the following seven tips are easy to follow and will serve as a good start for those looking to up their security game this holiday season — and beyond.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
CISO Perspectives: How to make AI an Accelerator, Not a Blocker
August 20, 2024Securing Your Cloud Assets
August 27, 2024