
Identity theftĪny active online accounts associated with PII can make you vulnerable to identity theft. This means any account is vulnerable to being stolen via a variety of hacking methods, including phishing and brute force. They are also valuable for the achievements and rare in-game items earned while playing, which can be sold to others who want a higher status in a particular game. Video game accounts are targets for cybercriminals because they are often linked to credit cards and contain PII. This is partially caused by poor data privacy, which can enable criminals to find where you live in order to commit stalking and other types of real-life harassment. 65% of online gamers experienced “severe” harassment, which is defined as “physical threats, stalking and sustained harassment.” That means many incidents of harassment that originate from online gaming move into real-life environments.

The ADL also discovered that 75% of online gamers experienced some form of harassment, which can affect mental health and general well-being. But the risk of being doxxed can be reduced if you follow good cybersecurity practices. Swatting is a criminal form of harassment in which the cybercriminal uses your doxxed information to send the government a false tip, such as a bomb threat, which prompts them to send emergency services – such as a SWAT team – to your house.Īccording to a study by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 29% of people have been doxxed while playing video games online. People will then use that PII to harass and target you, even resulting in swatting in some instances. Doxxingĭoxxing is when someone publishes your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) publicly and usually with malicious intent. Here are some of the threats to your data security and safety that you may encounter while playing games online. Anyone you encounter in an online video game could be a potential threat actor who may try to steal your sensitive information. Unfortunately, gamers are common targets for cybercriminals. Read our eleven recommendations for keeping sensitive information secure and protecting yourself while playing online games.
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Best practices include using strong passwords, using a VPN and keeping your software updated. To stay safe while playing online video games, you should follow cyber hygiene best practices to protect your anonymity.

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