Online Gaming: Safety Tips You Must Know

Online gaming is one of the most fun options to spend your time on. You get to play different types of games and there is something for everybody. You can be anywhere and still play with the same group of people or different groups from all over the world.

I love playing online games – especially multiplayer games, I have found some new friends through multiplayer games and it’s also a way for me spend some fun time with people I like being around – us playing our favorite games together? Nothing can beat that. While connecting with people all over the world through your love for the same games seems like a fun concept, it has its downsides too.

Knowing how to be safe while still making the most of online games is crucial for a stress-free experience. Online gaming can also expose you to certain dangers like cyberbullying, online harassment, and online predators. I have met some great people through my gaming but it is very easy to fall prey to people with malicious intentions.

Here are some of the safety measures you need to follow when gaming online to protect yourself and also have an enjoyable experience.

1. Don’t Give Away Your True Identity

In any situation, protecting your true identity when dealing with strangers on the internet is crucial. It becomes especially important when spending hours playing with and talking to strangers. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when creating your online alias:

• Play as anonymous or under an alias, especially if you are underage or are traveling to a new place and playing with locals.
• Do not use your real picture as your avatar – with the advent of social media, your real picture makes it easier to track you down.
• Do not use your first or last name as your username – this makes it difficult to find your personal accounts or pages.

2. Do Not Reveal Personal Information

With multiplayer games, you get to communicate with other players. When talking about the game, strategizing together, spending hours together – the conversation is bound to steer toward personal things. You can talk about personal experiences, but take care to not reveal personal information.

There are various ways to connect with fellow players on games like a console network, chat site or gaming forum. Channels like an instant messenger, a headset, or video chat while playing are common. Do not under any circumstances, reveal any personal information to the online community – things like phone numbers and addresses should not be revealed.

3. Use a VPN

Using a VPN is always a great idea, especially when using WiFi from various places. When you don’t use a VPN and use public WiFis, it leaves your system vulnerable to Man in the Middle attack. What it means is that an attacker can eavesdrop to your data being sent and received, which makes it easier for them to steal information that is on your system or anything that you communicate.

Final Thoughts

Protecting yourself while you are in the online world boils down to not giving away your personal information, being vigilant, and using secure channels for playing online or browsing the internet. Being skeptical of strangers is not a bad thing, being too trusting of anyone who sweet talks to you is.