Online safety is something that you’re either very strict about or that you have a rather lax attitude towards. Staying safe isn’t just about protecting yourself and your personal information, but also about protecting your devices. If you don’t carry out safe practices, you could find that your devices are infected, hacked, and experience various problems as a result. Taking steps to protect your devices will help you to avoid these issues so you won’t have to deal with the hassle of cleaning up your device or dealing with even worse consequences. Here are some of the things you can do to avoid disaster when you’re gaming.
Be Careful Playing in Public
There are times when you’ll feel like getting online to play while you’re in public. Maybe you’re waiting to get on a flight or it’s even a planned meetup with other people. But it’s important to be careful when you’re playing in public, especially when using open WiFi connections. Using a VPN on public WiFI is the best way to protect yourself if you do want to connect. It will help to keep your information safe and your device more secure. If you have to use a public connection, make sure you’re protected.
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Install Antivirus Software
Antivirus software will help to protect your devices from anything that could infect them. If you’re playing on a computer or phone, it could be especially important to install the right software for protection. However, some game consoles can also be vulnerable to viruses, so it’s important not to assume that you’re safe. Fortunately, console viruses are rare because most hackers don’t bother to program them. But if you want to keep your console safe, you can still take the usual steps to avoid any infections, including keeping your system up to date to prevent vulnerabilities.
Download with Care
Be careful what you choose to download to your PC, phone, or console. Downloading the wrong thing could lead to problems with your device. If you’re downloading an app to your phone, for example, make sure it’s from a trusted source and that it has been kept up to date by the developer. Avoid any potentially dodgy links that could lead to you downloading something that you don’t want on your device. If you only download from trusted stores, your downloads should already have been vetted to check that they are safe.
Secure Your Accounts
Keeping any online accounts that you use secure is another important part of protecting your devices and your own information. Using a strong password and two-factor authentication where possible will help you to prevent other people from getting into your account. It’s particularly important to do if you store card details in these accounts so you can prevent anyone nefarious from getting hold of them. You can also avoid using your card details on your gaming accounts with other payment options, such as prepaid cards and vouchers.
Protect your devices when you’re gaming and you can keep your personal information safe too.