Tuning in to play online represents one of the most popular aspects of the world of gaming. Millions of gamers around the world are forever logging into their gaming accounts to play with – and against – the wider gamer community and, most of the time, this is able to go off without a hitch.
Unfortunately, between vulnerabilities in the servers and untrustworthy sites looking to take advantage of unsuspecting newcomers, there are plenty of risks to online gaming that must be addressed by anyone preparing to access the web in order to play their favourite titles.
Read more below about ensuring your safety as you enter into the world of online gaming.
Find the Right Resources
While threats come in all shapes and sizes online, there will always be those working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that new and experienced players alike have a trustworthy source of information to hand that will stand between them and the risks of online gaming.
The experts at John Slots, for instance, are continuously working to update their records of the best and safest online casinos, in order to ensure that players are always able to turn to a reliable resource before handing over their sensitive information to a new site.
Similarly, when it comes to downloading gaming apps, this guide offers plenty of guidance for Android users who want to ensure that they are not unwittingly downloading malicious software onto their phones.
Create a Strong Password
One of the biggest risks to gamers is data theft, which occurs when another user gains access to your account in order to steal valuable information about you. This may be your name, address, phone number and email, or it may be your banking details – which could, of course, hold devastating consequences for you and your finances.
One of the best defences against these hacks is creating a strong password. While it might be a little harder to remember, ensuring that it is unique and nigh on impossible to guess will ensure an additional layer of safety for your account – and your sensitive information.
Understand How to Recognise When Something is Not Right
This point stands for both the site itself, and for other users you may come into contact with.
There are a number of pointers you can look to when trying to understand the safety of a site. While the HTTPS or SSL certificate does not offer a total guarantee of safety, it can be used as a guide when looking for secure sites.
Similarly, when playing against other users, some conversation is almost inevitable. If, however, they attempt to ask for your personal details – or speak to you as though they are a member of the game’s development team – then you should immediately end your contact and report that user to the game’s mods via the appropriate channel.
You also should not click on any links sent to you via in-game chats, as these could potentially lead you to dangerous sites that post a risk of malware to your PC, which could once again give attackers access to your more sensitive data.
While there are some risks that cannot be avoided – and must be addressed by the developers themselves – our security in the world of online gaming is largely down to player education and awareness. Understanding the risks before we go online, and knowing how to avoid rendering ourselves more vulnerable to attacks and data theft, remain paramount to ensuring that we can enjoy gameplay, and avoid any of the devastating consequences of a malicious cyberattack.