Online gaming should be a fun and rewarding experience that, critically, does not have any lasting impact. Staying safe online is vital, especially when gaming, as it is all too easy for a fun and innocent activity to become malicious when the right steps have not been taken. That does not mean to say that gaming online is a dangerous activity. In fact, when you take the right steps, online gaming can be just as safe as playing in person with friends.
Use a VPN
A Virtual Private Network, otherwise known simply as a VPN, is a great measure that everyone should use while gaming online. When you connect to a VPN, you connect to an encrypted server, which means that it becomes a lot more difficult for cybercriminals to track your movements. Not only does a VPN allow you to play anonymously, but it also hides your IP address, which makes you even more difficult to track.
Only Play on Trusted Sites
Before you begin playing online, it is important that you check to see that a site is trustworthy. There are many ways that you can check to see how trustworthy an online gaming site is; you could:
- Check player reviews – looking at reviews of a gaming site, particularly the negative reviews, should help you learn if the site is unsafe. Make sure to check reviews at a respectable website.
- Check for the right icons; some sites, like gambling sites, should be regulated by a range of international organizations. You should check to see if the site features the icons of the gaming authorities before playing.
- Do your research; simply just reading up on the best gaming sites to use can help you to find the best, safe sites. Rather than doing the research yourself, you can easily compare the sites in one place and get playing a lot faster, safe in the knowledge that you are using a trusted site. Click here to compare.
Keep Your Personal Information Private
Of course, sometimes, when you are buying an online game or signing up, you will have to input your personal details (only after checking the site is safe), but in other situations, you should keep your information private. For example, if you are playing an online multiplayer game, you should avoid using or giving out any personal information, including your name or location. Even if a player seems to be a friend of yours, you should never exchange personal information.
It is also vital that you use an appropriate username that does not give too much of your personal information out. You should also make sure to have a different password for every online gaming site that you use.
Install Anti-Virus Software
If you have taken the previous steps, then you can be pretty confident that you will be safe while playing online, but it is always better to be safe and sorry. You should install anti-virus software on your device to give you that extra layer of added security.
If you are playing games on a free site, it is common for these sites to use adverts, some of which might host more harmful, malicious software. You should be using a VPN and anti-virus software at all times to make sure you are staying safe online, whether you are playing a game or reading Wikipedia.
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