How to Protect Yourself When Using Online Gaming Platforms

Online gaming platforms are fun and allow you to play with friends and other gamers pretty much whenever you like. In fact, some reports even suggest that gaming is healthy (we always knew it).

However, because of the success of these platforms among the gaming community, there are some less-than-honest individuals and even companies who set out to take advantage of those of us with a trusting nature.

Unfortunately, this means that we have to take certain steps to ensure that we protect ourselves when playing online.

Thankfully, these steps aren’t all that complicated, and if you stick to them, they should become second nature in no time. So, buckle up and strap yourself in as we show you how to protect yourself when gaming online.

Read About: Best Offline Shooting Games for Android in 2019

Stay Mysterious

By that we mean don’t let anyone know your personal details. This one almost goes without saying, but we can’t write a guide on protecting yourself without at least mentioning it.

Never share your full name, address or any other information that could potentially identify you to others. And yes, this includes where you work or go to school.

Learn How to Spot a Trusted Site

Spotting a trusted site is one of the best ways to protect your personal information from getting into the wrong hands. That’s especially true for any platform that requires payment on your part but is also relevant even for those retro on-site mini-games.

A trusted website will protect their users (that’s you) from any potential threats and have a support network to help out should any issues arise. And spotting one isn’t all that hard.

Take 888 online casino for example. If you take a look at their homepage, you’ll find that they have trust seals and badges indicating not only that they comply with the regulations of local gaming authorities but also, that they use trusted payment gateways to process all deposits and withdrawals.

And as you may have guessed, when using a site that requires your financial information, this is critical.

Once a site has these seals, all it takes is a little research on your part to make sure that they are indeed genuine. If you’re worried that you may have spotted a fake, contact the relevant gaming or licensing authority and ask for more details.

They’ll be more than happy to let you know whether the site is genuine.

Download with Care

Many platforms will ask you to download their software so that you can get the most out of your gaming experience. That’s perfectly normal and usually quite safe (especially if it’s a trusted platform), but it still pays to double-check. Run everything through your AV software to be sure.

One thing we have noticed is that some gamers like to download third-party upgrades or extension packs. Again, you need to be positive that these files are from a trusted and authorized third-party supplier and not some pirate in his basement.

With everything you download online, always remain vigilant.

Also Read: How to Check if your Computer is Infected by Malware or Virus?

Play Only on Secure Servers

Now, if you’re new to gaming, this might be news to you, but it’s a basic security protocol that we should follow at all times. When starting out on a new platform, always make sure that the server you use is secure.

It must have the right encryption and authentication measures to protect both yourself and anyone else using it from potential threats.

Doing this will protect your personal information (maintaining that mysterious air we mentioned earlier) and ensure that you don’t put any of your fellow gamers at risk.

That’s especially true if you intend to create a private gaming environment for a group of gamers. Trust us: There’s nothing worse than hosting friends on your private gaming server, only to find out that your lack of security has become an issue.

Take Advantage of DDoS Protection Services

When running your gaming server, it’s critical to protect yourself from DDoS attacks. A DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack is when someone tries to shut down service by hitting it with a significant amount of traffic from multiple sources.

A simple DDoS protection service (they’re easy enough to find) will help prevent this and make sure that you and your friends have a seamless gaming experience.

But First Check: What is DDoS Attack and How to Stop a DDoS Attack

Never Give in to Bullying

Cyberbullying is a real threat to gamers these days, and it’s a shame that one bad apple can ruin the gaming experience for many people. But remember that cyberbullying is a genuine problem and one that online gaming platforms and authorities take quite seriously. So, act as soon as it becomes a problem.

Report any instances of cyberbullying that you come across to the gaming provider. And this means when you witness others being bullied, too, as gaming platforms have strict rules when it comes to bullying and unsocial behavior.

In most cases, the provider will launch an investigation, and if they find that the person in question broke the rules, they will receive a suspension or perhaps even a permanent ban.

In some instances, a cyberbully may be able to circumnavigate the rules and continue to upset fellow gamers. If this happens, and the platform fails to deal with the issue adequately, then you must report the incident to your local cyberbullying authority.

Depending on your location, you should be able to find a local agency who deals with this problem or who can at the least advise you on what to do next.

So, as you can see, staying safe when gaming online isn’t that hard as long as you stay mysterious, only use trusted providers, use the correct security measures and of course, ignore all the haters.

Make this your habit when playing an online game, and you’ll never have to worry about your online safety again.

Tips to Prevent virus and malware from Infecting Your System: