Online gaming has risen in popularity in recent years, thanks to battle royale games like Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone, and Fortnite. Fundamental analysts estimate there will be over 3 billion gamers by the end of 2023, with the rate of growth expected to grow slowly.
But even as such games continue to make us lose thousands of dollars in broken controllers, we face new kinds of threats in the gaming world: online hacking, in-game cheating, and identity theft.
This $60 billion industry presents a prime and ever-growing opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit. Online gaming has come under massive scrutiny because of its inability to adopt secure cybersecurity measures that curb the risk of hackers and other online criminal activity.
In India alone, the average gamer loses about RS8000 (about $100) through every cyber attack. Video game publishers also lose fortunes to these scams. One survey revealed that these studios lose up to 40% of their in-game revenue and microtransactions to cyber-attacks and fraudsters each year.
If you’re an online gamer, you should be extremely mindful of who you interact with online, which links you click on, and where you buy your games from.
In this article, we’ll look at the importance of online security in gaming. We’ll also go over some of the best cybersecurity measures to consider to improve your online security.
Why is Online Security Important in Gaming?
The most obvious reason for enhancing online security in the gaming world is to protect user data from being stolen or manipulated. One of the most common reasons for hacking user accounts is to steal user information.
Before rebranding to EAFC, FIFA featured an ultimate team mode (FUT), which allowed players from all over the world to build their teams and compete against each other to win in-game prizes that enhanced the overall gaming experience.
However, a game with millions of players also comes with millions of hacking attempts. Over the years, hundreds of thousands of FUT players experienced hacking attempts on their accounts. Once these hackers took control of user accounts, they manipulated user data, stole valuable in-game items, and even made illegal transactions.
The ‘FIFA hacking’ saga is not the only instance of weak online security in the gaming world. Games such as Fortnite, Overwatch, Call of Duty Warzone, Destiny, and Counter-Strike have also had their fair share of security incidents and challenges.
For instance, one of the most notorious hacking incidents in the gaming world involved Fortnite back in 2018-2019. Epic Games, the gaming studio that developed Fortnite, discovered a bug in their systems that allowed hackers to log in as different users.
This led to widespread fraud as hackers were able to steal user data, including payment information, which allowed them to make a ton of in-game purchases using real money. Millions of dollars were lost to this scam. Some gamers went as far as suing Epic Games for how they handled that breach.
Brute-force hacking is not the only way hackers gain access to user accounts. Online criminals will often send deceptive emails or text messages to unsuspecting gamers. These emails contain links that appear harmless or appear to be from the gaming company.
These scams trick players into revealing their account details, including user personal information. Sometimes, these links will download malware to your computer or console immediately after you’ve clicked on them.
Online security in gaming is vitally important because it ensures the safety of user data while enhancing the overall gaming experience for players all over the world.
How Can I Protect Myself from Video Game Hacks?
It’s essential to take charge of your online security. Fully entrusting it with the so-called ‘big video game publishers’ can be dangerous as a lot of these companies have shown that they can’t be trusted with your personal information.
Here are some steps you should consider if you want to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats as an online gamer:
- Start by reviewing your gaming account passwords: Revisit your gaming account passwords to ensure they’re strong and not easily guessable. Avoid using your birthday, pet’s name, street address, or common phrases. Strong passwords are complex and have a mixture of numbers, symbols, and upper and lowercase letters.
- Use a VPN for added privacy and enhanced gaming: These tools encrypt your data and mask your IP address, offering protection against DDoS attacks that could disrupt your connection during competitive matches. Even free VPNs can improve your gaming experience by safeguarding your connection from potential threats. Additionally, VPNs enhance your internet privacy by making it extremely difficult for hackers to intercept your data.
- Avoid third-party cheats and hacks: Although they sound good on paper, using mods, cheats, or game hacks can introduce security vulnerabilities. And not only that but you could be banned from the game entirely.
- Be careful with what you share: Chatting with your fellow mates while gaming is fun. But if you’re not careful, sharing personal information in these chats can be dangerous. It would be wise to limit the amount of personal information that you reveal while gaming online.
Bottom Line
As video games have evolved from simple board games to complex interactive games, they’ve attracted millions of people who log in and enjoy them with their friends and family.
Unfortunately, it has also attracted many hackers and cybercriminals who are constantly looking to steal user data and use it for their own illegal gain. This can be costly, as many gamers have reported losing their gaming progress, money, and other valuables.
Fortunately, you can take some control back and protect yourself from these fraudsters by using strong passwords, a VPN, and antivirus software and not sharing personal information as you chat with other gamers online.
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