You should be prepared for these dangers when playing.
The gaming sector offers a large amount of data that is of interest to cybercriminals. Find out what you as a gamer should know about cyber threats and which tools (e.g. antivirus program, VPN, etc.) you can use to protect yourself against possible threats.
Danger of phishing
A few years ago it was still possible to enjoy the majority of games offline. But there is now an online obligation for gaming platforms such as Steam, the Xbox Network or PlayStation Live, especially if you play games within a gaming flat rate such as Xbox Game Pass. In addition, you have to enter your personal data and payment information.
This makes you attractive to hackers as a potential target. Cyber attacks can occur in different ways:
The best known and oldest cyber threat is the so-called phishing. Hackers try to get your data through fake emails or websites. In the gaming sector, cybercriminals are increasingly using the communication service Discord, as many gamers are discussing it.
For example, the hacker may be posing as a company employee or pretending to be another gamer who wants to befriend you online. Through the so-called Social Engineering he gains your trust and then steals your data.
The "classic" way, on the other hand, is an email that contains a link to a fake website or a virus-infected attachment. While in the past it was often possible to unmask these emails as fakes (many spelling mistakes, bad layout), today they can hardly be distinguished from the original.
An example in gaming would be an alleged message from Microsoft in your e-mail account, in which the sender asks you to confirm your account details or payment details. If you then enter these on the fake website, they fall into the hands of the hacker.
Attention, cyber attack - this is how you can protect yourself
The best defense against phishing is to use common sense. Check e-mails and messages in messenger services carefully: Are you expecting a message from the sender? Companies do not ask you for your access data via email or Discord message (note: neither by phone, of course, unless you have called customer service yourself). If you are unsure, check with customer service beforehand whether the email is authentic.
Password manager protection
Use a password manager. While this doesn't protect you directly from phishing, it does help ensure that you have unique and strong passwords for each of your online accounts. If hackers steal credentials from one of your accounts, they don't automatically have access to other accounts of yours.
Because you don't always have control over your data being stolen. Data leaks from providers can also result in your information falling into unknown hands. This is how hackers were able to steal parts of the FIFA 21 source code; they subsequently stated that they would offer the data for sale on hacking forums. Although Electronic Arts stated that no player data is at risk, this can never be ruled out in the event of such data leaks.
Firewall against DoS attacks
Another threat can be a DoS attack on you. In gaming, the main goal of this cyber attack is to gain an advantage in the game. Because the hacker overloads a server with a myriad of requests and slows down the system or even causes it to collapse.
Protection is provided by a good firewall, which is available on most operating systems. Make sure that this is actually activated.
VPN for security and privacy
You should also use a VPN (virtual private network). Cyber criminals need an IP address for a DoS attack. The advantage of a VPN is that your IP address will remain hidden as long as you remain connected to one of the VPN servers, since you will temporarily receive the VPN server's address.
You can also use a VPN as an effective security tool when gaming. Your data is transmitted to the VPN server in encrypted form, making it almost impossible for hackers to intercept it on the way there. Some VPN providers have also integrated the useful function of warning you about dangerous websites and automatically terminating the Internet connection when you go to such a site.
Gaming is becoming increasingly popular and is a favorite hobby for many. As a result, gamers and their data are also a popular target for hackers - and their cyber attacks are becoming more and more effective. However, if you play with a certain amount of caution and equip yourself with the necessary security tools, you can reach for the controller or keyboard without any worries.
