Cybersecurity 
St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), located in Vienna, Austria, is one of Europe’s leading centres for paediatric cancer research. Operating in the healthcare industry
8 min read
Published on June 08, 2023
Updated on July 23, 2025.
According to 2024 data from the Entertainment Software Association, over 190 million Americans, ranging in age from 5 to 90, play video games. With such a large player base, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting gamers through phishing scams, account takeovers and other types of cyber attacks. To stay safe while online gaming, follow password hygiene best practices, including using strong passwords, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), encrypting your connection with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), keeping your software up to date and educating yourself on common scams.
Continue reading to learn 11 ways you can help keep your sensitive information secure when playing online video games.
1. Use strong, unique passwords
If you’re an avid gamer, you most likely have multiple gaming accounts across various platforms. To keep your personal and financial information secure, it’s essential to create strong, unique passwords for each account to avoid password reuse. For example, if you have an EA account and a PlayStation account, you’ll want to use different passwords for each. That way, a cybercriminal will not be able to access all your accounts if one platform suffers a breach.
A strong password consists of at least 16 characters and includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable information like your birthday or favorite game. To create a strong password, use a password generator, which will produce a random combination of characters tailored to your needs. If you’re worried about remembering many strong, unique passwords, consider using a password manager like Keeper® to securely store them all.
2. Enable multi-factor authentication
MFA adds an extra layer of protection to your gaming accounts by requiring you to verify your identity with more than just your username and password. Let’s say you use an authenticator app as an MFA method; you’ll need to enter the code generated by the app to authenticate your identity when you log in to your account. So, even if a cybercriminal manages to steal your login credentials, MFA makes it more challenging for them to gain access.
Most online gaming platforms, like PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo, now offer MFA as an option in account settings. By enabling MFA, you can protect your accounts from unauthorized access, phishing scams and credential stuffing, which are all growing more common in the online gaming world. Several password managers, like Keeper, even feature built-in Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) generators, making it easy to manage both your passwords and MFA methods in one place.
3. Use a virtual private network
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, protecting your data and privacy while gaming online when enabled. Although some gamers worry that a VPN might slow down their gameplay, a high-quality VPN built with modern security protocols generally has minimal impact on internet speed. Some VPNs, like ExpressVPN and Surfshark, are frequently recommended for gamers due to their low-latency servers and fast connections.
Using a VPN is especially important when playing online multiplayer games because your IP address could be exposed to other players. This can leave you vulnerable to location tracking, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and harassment. By masking your IP address, a VPN keeps your location private and helps defend against cyber threats.
4. Choose an anonymous username
When creating an online gaming account, it’s important not to use any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in your username. PII includes details like your birthday, full name, location, age or any other information that could be used to identify you. While it may seem harmless to include your name or birth year in a username, cybercriminals can connect small bits of data to build a profile about you. Once they have enough information, they can target you with phishing attacks or even harass you.
To stay safe, always choose a unique, anonymous username that doesn’t reveal who you are in real life. This keeps your online identity separate from your personal one and adds an additional layer of protection when interacting with other gamers online.
5. Never share PII with other players
While online gaming, it’s easy to form friendships with people you regularly team up with or chat with in-game. Although some of these connections may feel genuine, remember that you should never share your PII with people you meet online. Even if someone seems trustworthy, sharing personal details like your home address, email address or place of work can put you at risk of harassment, identity theft or scams. Protect yourself by being cautious about what you share – even in casual conversations – and consider changing personal details about yourself when communicating in online chats.
6. Keep your gaming software and devices updated
Your gaming software, consoles and devices must be regularly updated to protect yourself from online threats. Software updates contain security patches that fix known vulnerabilities that cybercriminals are actively seeking to exploit. Cybercriminals often target users shortly after a new security patch is released, hoping to reach outdated systems. This makes timely updates essential – not only for your PC or console’s operating system, but also for your games, antivirus tools and gaming platforms. To stay secure, enable automatic updates whenever possible or make a habit of checking for new versions regularly.
7. Learn to recognize common online gaming scams
Scammers target the online gaming community with schemes like phishing, spoofing, fake giveaways, malicious links and account recovery scams. Regardless of the type of scam, you can be tricked into revealing personal information, login credentials or even payment details. You can better recognize these scams by keeping up to date with the latest threats to online gamers through trusted news websites and blogs. The more familiar you are with common scam techniques, the easier it is to recognize red flags and keep your gaming accounts secure.
8. Use a credit card to make safer purchases
When buying games, downloadable content or in-game currency, use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards and provide better dispute resolution in the event of unauthorized charges. If your gaming account is ever compromised and someone makes unauthorized purchases, your credit card issuer will generally be responsible for reimbursing you for fraudulent transactions. In contrast, debit cards take money directly from your bank account, making it harder to recover if unauthorized purchases are made.
9. Download and play games only from trusted sources
While free or discounted games may sound tempting, downloading content from unofficial sources can jeopardize your device’s safety and personal data. Many of these illegitimate websites hide spyware or ransomware in game files to compromise your security as soon as you install the game. To stay safe, avoid interacting with or downloading games from sketchy websites. Only download games from official platforms, like Epic Games or Steam, to protect your device from cyber attacks.
10. Block suspicious or aggressive players
If you encounter players online who behave suspiciously, send you messages with strange links or harass you, block them immediately. Ignoring or responding to these users can make the situation worse, but blocking them stops them from contacting you completely. Aggressive online behavior can escalate into targeted attacks that put your cybersecurity, physical safety and emotional well-being at risk. Take control by blocking harmful players to protect your accounts and ensure you enjoy your gaming experience without fear or disruption.
11. Adjust your default privacy settings
Most video game platforms set default privacy settings to be fairly public, which means your profile, gaming activity and friends lists might automatically be visible to strangers. To protect your personal information and reduce unwanted attention, always review your privacy settings when setting up a new gaming account. Whenever possible, make your gaming profile private and limit who can send you friend requests and messages. Adjusting these settings helps prevent strangers from accessing your information, contacting you without permission and viewing your online activity.
Stay safe when playing online games
Online gamers are frequent targets of cyber attacks, which makes it crucial to take proactive steps to protect your gaming accounts and private data. Although all the tips mentioned above contribute to a safer online gaming experience, the most important cyber defense is using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. With Keeper, you can easily create, store and manage secure passwords, so you can game confidently.
Start a free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager to see how we can help keep your online gaming accounts safe.
Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of online gaming?
Even though online gaming can be fun, it also comes with potential risks, including:
– Cyberbullying and harassment: Toxic gamers may engage in cyberbullying, hate speech or harassment, especially in competitive or unmoderated online environments.
– Data breaches: Gaming platforms can be hacked, exposing your login credentials, email address or payment information, which could then be sold on the dark web.
– Stolen accounts: Scammers target accounts with rare items or saved payment methods, often through phishing or malware.
– Identity theft: Oversharing personal information, like your full name, birthday or location, can make it easier for cybercriminals to commit identity theft or fraud.
– Phishing scams: Scammers may send fake messages containing malicious links, designed to look official enough for you to enter your login credentials or payment information.
– Doxxing: Malicious players may post your private details online to threaten or harass you. This is known as doxxing, and it generally happens after competitive disputes or targeted attacks.
How safe is online gaming?
Online gaming is typically safe when you take the right precautions. Always keep your personal information private, use strong passwords on your accounts, enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) wherever possible and be aware of the most common online gaming scams. Most major platforms have security features and community guidelines to help protect gamers. With good habits and advanced security features enabled, you can enjoy your online gaming experience while avoiding many common cyber threats.
Is it safe for kids to play online games?
Online games can be safe for kids to play, but they also come with risks. Many games, like Roblox, include voice and text chat, which can expose children to inappropriate content, cyberbullying and contact with strangers. However, parents and guardians can use parental controls, choose age-appropriate games, monitor gameplay and teach children not to share private information online. It’s crucial to stay involved in your child’s online gaming experience, set boundaries and encourage open communication about who they’re interacting with and what they’re encountering online.
