How Gamers Can Protect Themselves from Hackers
Yuriy SheremetPlaying video games is a hugely popular hobby. And it’s not just limited to teenagers battling each other on Fortnite. There are family fun games for everyone to enjoy. There are local or online coop games and a huge selection of open-world games that help players escape from the real world for a bit and enjoy being a cowboy or warrior or… carjacker. Platformers, first-person shooters, RPGs – there’s a massive list of games available and millions of gamers. But nowadays, as everything seems to be online, there’s also the risk that you could put yourself and your console in danger of online criminals when playing these games. And we don’t want that.
Most people only assume that computers are at risk of malware or hackers, and it’s an easy mistake to make. Computers have been used, and are mainly used, for all sorts of online activity. Working, sorting out financial information, research, surfing the web, streaming shows, downloading, and even playing video games. So you can see why lots of people think computers are the only devices at risk as they’re used a lot for online activity. But then so are smartphones and tablets, and over recent years, consoles have increased online capabilities. An Xbox or PlayStation isn’t just an Xbox or PlayStation games device anymore. It’s a DVD player, web browser, multi-media device. It can house various streaming apps like Netflix or Prime Video, so you can use it for more than just playing games. But of course, when it comes to playing games on a console, there’s a high probability you’re going to be online. It could be to download updates or play multiplayer games. This means your console is potentially left open to the attacks that you only thought computers were victims of. But you can protect it.
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are a great way of keeping yourself safe when you’re online. But again, the majority of people only think they work for computers or smart devices. And again, we can say that’s not the case. You can now get VPNs that will keep your console secure, whether you’re playing on a PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo system. If you research a VPN for gaming, you’ll find that not only can you get one installed on your console, but it comes with a range of benefits.
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Why would you consider it? Just like going online with a computer, your console has the potential to be at risk from cybercriminals who are looking to get your personal information. Or you could be a victim of a dreaded Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. With so much of your information stored on your console – such as your billing details, personal information such as an address, avatar name, friend list – this is something you don’t want online hackers to get hold of. But if you have a VPN installed on your console, you can protect yourself completely from this using the VPN’s high-end encryption technology. So you can use your console for whatever online purposes in complete confidence, knowing your information and security of your console is safe.
As well as protecting yourself from hackers, using a VPN on your consoles lets you do a lot more. If you use your Xbox or PlayStation to watch your favorite shows, you will have the ability to get more content. As a VPN can run rings around geographic restrictions, you can use it to access shows you previously couldn’t. If you want to watch the best British shows on BBC iPlayer but haven’t been able to before, the VPN will let you do so. Likewise, you can open up Netflix’s complete library by getting around the restrictions when using a VPN.
You may have noticed that when you’re in the various online stores (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo), the prices of games may vary. Or, just like with Netflix, there may be games you can’t access in your country yet. Super VPN comes in again to save the day. With it, you’ll be able to buy games for less or play some that aren’t even available in your region.
With a VPN installed on your console, you’ll be able to protect yourself against online hackers. And with the majority of consoles requiring to be online, you don’t want to leave yourself open to any risk. Now you don’t have to. And to top it all off, you can use all the other features that a VPN has to offer, too.
Yuriy Sheremet – Expert in mobile gaming and esports among shooters and MOBA games.
At EGamersWorld, Yuriy, as in 2020 when he joined the portal, works with content, albeit with adjustments to his area of responsibility.