Online gaming is one of the most common ways to entertain ourselves, and it isn’t hard to see why. Not only does it have the excitement of regular, offline gaming, but it also provides social interaction and teamwork that’s necessary for sports. Despite its convenience, there’s a dark side to its popularity, and that’s the dangers of security breaches. To make sure you stay safe while gaming, use these tips to keep your data secure.
1. Keep Your System Updated
Every electronic device goes through multiple updates throughout its lifetime. Keeping all of your gaming systems, including your phone, up-to-date makes it more difficult for hackers to steal your data. Android and IOS have an invested interest in keeping your data safe and maintaining your trust in them and their brand. Mac users are less likely to experience viruses, but that also means fewer gamers are available on them. You can also try solutions like SCYTHE. However, casino websites, like Casumo New Zeland online casino are available on both the Mac and PC and update frequently to protect your data.
2. Mask Your Identity
Online games support audio and video chat and include instant messaging as well. If you use a service like discord, you can use those features on there, as well. If you show your identity, including your face, name, and location, you’re at a higher risk of having your information stolen. To protect against this, use photos that aren’t you as your profile picture, and use audio chat or texting. As an extra precaution, you could disguise your voice with software.
3. Restrict Access
All gaming computers or modern gaming consoles need you to create a profile, and all of these current consoles can use a password system to get in and out of them. Secure your online visibility with a difficult to guess password, with multiple capital letters, numbers, and characters that will make it almost impossible to hack. Restricting access can help if you live with roommates, in a dorm, or children.
4. Delete Personal Info
When you set up your account, you usually have to give personal information like your full name, address, phone number, and credit card information. Although some of the data can’t be deleted, you can use another address to protect your identity. For example, you could use a previous address, or you could set up a PO box. Delete your credit card information, or replace it with a PayPal.
5. Take Advantage of Inbetted Safety Features
The Nintendo Switch has a fantastic amount of safety features, and they’re located in the parental options. Don’t take that as an insult; these options are perfect for adding additional protection against yourself and others online. The PS4 and XBONE have those same parental control options, but in the PC or MAC, you’ll need to go into your computers’ internal options to protect yourself.
6. Use Legitimate Software
Never buy or download a game from an unlicensed source. Not only is it illegal, but it could also come with harmful viruses that could brick your electronics. It’s also possible that the device you’re using will recognize that it’s from an unlicenced source and shut down the system completely, meaning you’ll need to buy another system. It’s better to buy a legal version of the game, instead of risking potential financial loss.
7. For Extra Security, Protect Your Social Media
All of our social media accounts are connected, and most websites, including Steam, will ask if you want to add your social media accounts onto your profile. This is done so your friends can easily find you on other platforms, but as a consequence, it could encourage others to cyberstalk you in an attempt to steal your identity. The issue isn’t that you connected these profiles in the first place. Social media profiles aren’t protected exceptionally well and get hacked frequently. To stay safe, either private your accounts or don’t have them. Keep strong passwords on all websites, so they’re less likely to hack.
There are plenty of ways you can protect your identity, but the safest way is to use strong passwords and to stay as anonymous as possible. You can still have fun during an online game without others knowing everything about you.
