How to stay safe when playing online video games
Online gaming is on the rise and the industry was estimated to be worth more than $27.97 billion US dollars last year. Millions of people around the world play games as a source of entertainment and way to socialise, with 53 percent of men considering themselves to be gamers and 51 percent of women.
The most popular device for playing these games is the smartphone, with 34 percent of gamers accessing their favourite games this way.
With so many now logging on to enjoy everything from puzzles and casino games to first person shooter games and adventure titles, the threat of fraudulent activity and data theft is more relevant than ever before.
In this blog post, we explore some of the best ways the players can protect themselves from such activity and have a safe and enjoyable experience when gaming online.
Use a secure payment method when making transactions.
Online casinos are a popular place to visit for games like poker, slots and blackjack. Many casinos, such as Inclave casinos, provide a variety of transaction methods to give players choice and offer them secure ways to deposit into and withdraw cash from their casino account.
It can be a sensible idea to use a third party payment provider that you are familiar with when making transactions on online casinos, one popular choice is PayPal. Using a third party means that you are not sharing your personal banking details with the site and you can use the third party’s complaints resolution service if at all required.
Other transaction methods can include credit card, bank transfer or digital wallets. Whichever method you choose, be sure you are confident in the security of the site before you proceed.
Keep your devices secure
Another important consideration when staying safe online is the security of the device you are using, such as your smartphone, laptop or tablet. You should consider installing anti-virus software as a precaution against criminal activity. A virus on your device could compromise the privacy of your personal and financial information.
You should also think about your internet connection while playing, there is some risk that comes with connecting to public Wi-Fi. If possible, utilise your own mobile data or private wifi connection to reduce risks.
Enable multi-factor authentication to log in
You should try to enable multi-factor authentication on all of your online gaming accounts. This requires you to use a second method besides your usual login password. For example, you might have an app on your device that will generate a temporary code for you to provide during the log in process.
This helps prevent criminals from accessing your account even if they have the password and it is far less likely they will be able to use your second method in an attempt to falsely verify your identity.
Use a strong password and password manager
This sounds like an obvious tip, but it is common for people to use passwords that are easy for them to remember. For example, passwords that feature their birthday, the names of the pets or children or part of their home address. This makes it far easier for hackers to guess and get inside your online gaming account.
You should consider using a password generator that will come up with a randomised set of characters that are impossible to guess. If you are worried that you will not be able to remember this when needed, you can simply use a password management tool that safely stores all your passwords in a secure location.
Your smartphone may already have this feature or you can get them to add as an extension in your internet browser.
Avoid personal information in your profile name
Another tip is to avoid using any information that could be used by cyber criminals in order to identify you through your username. You should try to avoid using your full name, birth date, residential location or similar personal facts in your chosen username or profile name.
There are plenty of tools available online for helping you to generate a fun username that doesn’t include this type of information.
Do not share personally identifiable information in chat rooms
The same goes for the content you post in gaming chat rooms. If someone asks you personal questions that could be used to identify you then it is best not to answer. If concerned you can leave the chat and report the incident to the chat moderator or online gaming platform.
Only download games from trusted sources
While it can be tempting to download names from sites that make claims about a particular game being cheaper or a free download, by doing this you put yourself at risk of data fraud and downloading viruses onto your device.
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