Playing games online can bring security and privacy risks. While it’s great to have fun while playing games online with your friends, there are hackers out there. And some of them are skilled enough to prey on unsuspecting players and inject malware and viruses into your gaming PC. Whether you play online games a lot or not, you need to protect your gaming PC from risks. To help you, we at CyberPowerPC, one of the nationwide leading gaming PC manufacturers, listed these helpful tips:
- Download games on legal and official virtual stores.
- Keep your Firewall on when playing games.
- Enable the Game Mode of your Antivirus Software.
- Use strong and unique passwords.
- Never share your personal information online.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication in gaming services.
- Update your Antivirus software.
1 – Download games on legal and official virtual stores.
Top AAA and newly released games from famous developers can be expensive. So no wonder there will always be fake copies of these popular and new games. Never download these fake copies, as you will probably be disappointed for not getting the actual game you wanted. And worst, you might actually end up downloading malware on your unit, which will steal your private information.
Stick to buying virtual copies of video games on their official websites or digital distribution services like Steam, Epic Games, and Origin.
If you choose to take the risk and download a pirated version, you might end up losing more money than spending it to buy an original copy.
2 – Keep your Firewall on.
Protect gaming PCs from malware and viruses when playing online games by enabling your firewall system.
If ever you experience any connectivity issues when playing games online, some tips suggest you disable your Firewall. But that shouldn’t be the case. All you need is to allow your video game and its game client through the Firewall.
Allowing the video game through your Firewall will provide unrestricted internet access without any compromises. And you will be able to play your game without any problems.
If you have no idea how to allow your video game through your Windows Firewall, follow the steps below:
- Step 1 – Click the Start button and go to Settings.
- Step 2 – From the Setting dashboard, choose the Update & Security.
- Step 3 – Click on Windows Security, and go to Firewall & network protection.
- Step 4 – Click on the Allow on the app.
- Step 5 – On the new window, click Change Settings.
- Step 6 – Choose the video games you play online and their game client from the list.
- Step 7 – Click OK.
3 – Enable the Game Mode of your Antivirus Software.
Sometimes, your antivirus software can interrupt your gaming experience. This is because antivirus usually takes up a lot of your unit’s resources or processing power. However, you can fix this quickly by turning on or enabling its Game Mode.
Game Mode on antivirus software is designed to notify the software that the user needs processing power while playing games online. Once enabled, the antivirus software will stop background virus scanning and will mute any notifications so it can’t interrupt your gaming experience.
There is also antivirus software that features game boosters and device cleaners. These two features can enhance your gaming PC’s performance when gaming.
4 – Use strong and unique passwords.
When playing games online, use a strong password on all of your gaming platforms. It is better if you can update your password once every three months. Some who have the time even change their passwords every month to ensure that nothing remains stagnant.
Combine uppercase and lowercase letters when creating a password. It should also include numbers and symbols to make it as strong as possible. You can also use a set of words or long pass phrases that only you would know.
You might also consider using two-factor authentication, which gives a second layer of security and protection when accessing your accounts.
5 – Never share your personal information online.
When signing up for online games or on virtual gaming distribution platforms, you create a user profile published online for other players to see. Never make the mistake of adding your personal information to your profile and making it public. Make sure to double-check the privacy settings of your video game clients.
Any personal information that other people can see online can target you. In fact, even your email can be used by other people to send you spam messages or emails with attached malware files. Another tip is to never sign up for any gaming websites that look suspicious.
6 – Enable Two-Factor Authentication in gaming services.
As mentioned earlier, two-factor authentication can help you protect your accounts, PC unit, and personal information. It serves as another layer of protection, so not everybody can access your account quickly. It works by adding an extra step between typing your password and accessing your account.
When your account enables Two-factor Authentication, once you enter your username and password on a gaming service. A unique security code will be sent to your user’s mobile phone. You will need to enter this authentication code to log in to your account.
7 – Update your Antivirus software.
Like your PC drivers, you also need to update your Antivirus software. There will always be new viruses and malware on the internet, which is why Antivirus software developers release updates to ensure that your software can detect new ones. This way, they won’t be able to phish any information or damage your files.
After updating your Antivirus software, run a scan to ensure that your system is clear of any malware programs. Also, turn on the notifications of your Antivirus software, so you can be immediately informed if you need to install a software update on your system.
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