Across the world, more than a tenth of gamers have had their ID stolen – resulting in costs of as much as $347 billion, according to global research by Kaspersky. This new research surveyed gamers spanning 17 countries.
With this in mind, here are seven ways to be as safe as possible while gaming online:
- Buy from official sources. Always shop for PC games either on well-known platforms like Steam and GOG or on official developer sites.
- Save smart. Official stores often provide amazing discounts or even free games. But many email offers can be a scam – go to the developer’s or store’s website to see if the discount is mentioned there – if not, it’s not real.
- Check the return policy. Before buying, know the store’s rules for returning a game you don’t like or that doesn’t work on your computer.
- Use a dedicated card for online shopping. Instead of linking a card that has all your savings, get a debit card for online shopping and top it up as needed. That way, should intruders break into a site you use, they won’t get much.
- Use a secure connection. Log onto online stores only from home – having properly secured your home network.
- Protect your accounts. Protect your account on Steam and Battle.net, and on any social network profiles you use to sign in to gaming stores (but don’t use social network accounts to log in elsewhere if you can help it).
- Protect your devices. The computers, smartphones, and tablets you use for gaming also need protection. The Gaming Mode you’ll find in modern security solutions turns on automatically when you play in full-screen mode.
