Video games are certainly having a moment these days. 2.4 billion people played video games in 2019. As if that number was not staggering enough, Patriot Act’s Hasan Minhaj has reported that the gaming industry generates $139 billion in revenue a year. That’s more than the worldwide box office, music streaming and album sales, the NFL, the NBA, the MLB, and the NHL’s combined revenue of $99 billion!

With that many people and that much money involved there are bound to be security risks. Massive multiplayer online games—MMOGs like Fortnite—have a ridiculous number of players around the world. However, MMOGs have been notoriously exploited by hackers and criminals for money over the years.

As MMOGs become more and more popular, the need for tighter security increases. Here’s a few things you can do to avoid falling prey to online game fraud.

Use Unique Emails for Fan Sites and Forums

Scammers get easy access to loads of gamers’ email addresses from websites that are peripheral to the video game. Fan sites and online forums, have huge followings and low levels of security, making them a scammer’s gold mine.

Once they have your email, they send out phishing email scams that send MMO players authentic-looking email warnings about their security being compromised. The email informs the players that their passwords need to be reset. Once the player enters their old password in order to reset it, the attackers will use it to exploit as many of the victim’s online accounts as possible.

To protect yourself from being exploited by phishing emails, make sure to use a unique email address for fan sites and forums. Then use unique emails for every MMOG you play. This way, the access to the email on the fan site doesn’t allow access to any MMOG that you play.

Make Strong Passwords

Making strong passwords that aren’t words in the dictionary is a must. You should also make sure to fit non-alphanumeric symbols in your passwords.

Only Play Well-Known Games

Games that you haven’t really heard of and look low-budget and sketchy should probably not be trusted. Beware of any suspicious links and pop-ups on those games and their websites. Don’t click on them!

Maintaining tight cyber-security measures and protocols is a must for multi-platform and multi-user video games.

Lean Security is a trusted partner when it comes to delivering the best in online gaming security. Our protected application mitigates risks from exploited micro transactions, cheating, vandalism, private data theft, and more.

If you require security testing services or a mobile application penetration test for your game, get in touch with us today. Call +61280786952.