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How to protect yourself when gaming online

Online gaming can provide a wealth of entertainment for everyone. Gaming can be many things to many people—a haven for anyone seeking friendship, a meeting place for real-life friends who want to gather and enjoy some games together, or an escape from a busy life. Aside from the huge range of social aspects, there’s also a wide range to choose from too.

Between console games, PC games, multiplayer online games, and many more, there are myriad ways to enjoy gaming these days. However, with all that choice also comes more ways for scammers and unscrupulous persons to target unsuspecting gamers. In light of this, here are some crucial tips to stay safe while gaming online.

Account Security

With the rise of iGaming and the sometimes restrictive regulations that govern them, many people have been looking to new-age sites that run on cryptocurrency and enable players to gamble anonymously in no KYC casinos. According to iGaming expert Kane Pepi, aside from perks like great bonuses, such sites provide players with a more private experience and better security too. This is crucial for online gamblers since there’s very often real money involved, making account security even more important.

For non-gamblers, the first real way to protect yourself as a gamer online is to upgrade and spare no expense when it comes to your account security. Most applications gamers play on these days use a website you play on or require you to create an account to use in-app or through a website. This account typically contains all your sensitive information and requires good password security to protect. Here’s how to achieve the heavy-duty lock and key effect for gaming accounts:

Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

The cornerstone of online safety is a strong, unique password for every account. They require at least 12 characters with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. It is often hard to think of completely unique passwords that deviate from our usual password patterns.

However, it’s certainly worthwhile to consider using a password manager that can generate and store complex passwords that are created securely. Nowadays, many apps or websites will encourage you to select multi-factor authentication (MFA) which means you provide two or more different ways to access your account—such as a One-Time PIN (OTP) to add an extra layer of protection beyond an ordinary password.

Beware of Phishing Attacks

A large percentage of theft in today’s world occurs through cybercrime. While gaming online, a lot of gaming or gambling-related information may be sent to us via email or when we visit official websites, it’s common for ads to pop up on screen trying to lure in the unsuspecting.

It’s therefore a good idea to be wary of emails or messages—even from seemingly legitimate sources—that seem to put pressure on you to click on links or download attachments.

Never open files or links whose origin you’re unsure of because these could be phishing attempts designed to steal your login credentials. If you’re really unsure, go directly to the official website of a supposed link and access it by another means that doesn’t require you to click on any link.

Scrutinise Downloads and In-Game Purchases

Another security issue you may face as a gamer or gambler could come from the process of downloading games. While gamblers may not need to buy games in order to enjoy their pastime, videogame enthusiasts may sometimes only get to enjoy the full perks of a game after buying it. It can be quite costly and the temptation to find the game from alternate sources might arise.

As such, it’s advisable that you only buy and download games from official stores or reputable vendors. Free game offers from unknown sources can be laced with malware. Be careful with in-game purchases too and consider using a separate or specialised payment method dedicated to online gaming to limit financial exposure. For example, you might use cryptocurrency for your crypto gambling but use credit card details if you’re on the PlayStation Network (PSN).

Privacy Matters

After security concerns, privacy concerns are the next big thing to guard yourself against when gambling or gaming online. Since many games, apps, and websites require your personal information for you to create an account with them, it means that all these platforms have information about you stored in their systems. If you’re after anonymity or simply want to ensure that your info is kept securely and key, here are some steps you can take

Craft a Safe Username

While you might have to provide your real name during the registration process, most applications and websites ask you to create a username that you’d like others to see while you’re gaming. Creating a username can be tricky since it can even represent a security risk. Here are some quick tips for choosing a safe username when gaming:

• Avoid personal information
• Use letters and special characters
• Make it unique
• Don’t use any names that can be linked to your real name, location, or birthdate
• Use a name generator if you need to

Keep Personal Information Private

Gambling websites and apps allow players to communicate via in-game messaging sometimes while videogames allow players to actually speak to each other through their microphones as they play. The idea is to discuss strategies as they play in one team or against one another.

Usually, this is how people build friendships online and it is easy to start telling other players details about your life and oversharing things you probably shouldn’t. Keep your real name, address, contact details or birthday info out of these conversations. Usually, only suspicious characters would ask you for this information. Most scammers and stalkers may not ask for information directly but are skilled at goading players toward a feeling of vulnerability and friendship with them so information can be voluntarily parted with.

Adjust the Privacy Settings

Apps and websites have generic privacy settings set to default for new users. As soon as you get on the bandwagon, start by reviewing and adjusting the privacy settings for your gaming accounts and platforms. This will limit who can see your profile information, friend requests, and online activity which can keep you safe from other online threats, like stalkers.