Maintaining security when using applications on the Internet is very important. Especially it is when we are going to share information or personal data. An example is when playing online. In this article we are going to talk about Steam , the largest video game distributor in digital format. We are going to give some essential tips to protect the account and prevent a possible intruder from getting in.
Why you should protect your Steam account
A Steam account , over time, can gain value. At the end of the day, it is a service that we can expand. We can go buying more and more games and have them in our account. That makes it worth more money and may be tempting for a hacker to steal it.
Cybercriminals set their sights on accounts and services that they can later sell. One example is Netflix or Spotify accounts, which they then sell on the Dark Web . So is Steam. They can trade with these types of accounts and sell them at a cheaper price than buying game by game.
For this they will use different methods. An example is Phishing , which is basically a hook for us to log in to a fake page and thus steal the password. They can also use malware on the system, which could collect access keys. They can even use brute force attacks to crack weak passwords.
Steps to control logins
The company offers different options related to security . In addition to reporting how much money we have spent in this store, we can also see a history with logins. This can give us clues as to when an intruder has been able to enter and be able to take action as soon as possible.
In addition to knowing when we have connected , we can see how long. We will also see from which operating system the session has been logged in, something that can also alert us in case we do not recognize that access.
The first thing we have to do is access the Steam account with our data and this link . There we will see a complete list with all the historical logins on the platform. We’ll see where they’ve been from and the closing time.
This feature is very useful, because in case we detect a suspicious login , we can take action before it’s too late. The most important and quick thing would be to change the password. It is something that we can take into account and review periodically to avoid unpleasant surprises that could steal our account.
Tips to protect the account
Beyond this function that we have talked about, it is important to take into account some essential factors to protect the Steam account. The objective is none other than to properly protect our data and prevent anyone from entering. Not only will the account itself have to be protected, but also the systems and devices that we are going to use to play.
Create a strong password
The first thing we must take into account is the importance of creating a password that is secure . It is not worth putting any access key. You have to avoid the typical ones that many users usually put and that is a serious error, such as 123456 and the like. Also avoid putting our name, surnames or date of birth.
Ideally, create a password that is completely random, containing letters (both upper and lower case), numbers, and other special symbols. All this, in addition, taking into account the length. Each additional character is going to make that password exponentially more secure.
Activate two-step authentication
This is something that is increasingly present in the different online services. We can also use it on Steam. We can enable 2FA and thus add an extra layer of security to prevent an intruder from accessing our account even if they had previously found out the password.
Two-step authentication is a method that forces us to enter a code or verify our identity when logging in, beyond the password. For example, when we open the account on a new device, it will ask us for that code that we will receive by SMS or by some 2FA application.
Beware of third party sites
We must be careful of the sites from where we log in to our Steam account. Every login creates tokens that can be used to steal our data. We must always access through official sites and also avoid public wireless networks, since we do not really know who could have created it.
This must also be taken into account when downloading a game or making a payment. It is essential to always do it from official sources and not make any mistakes that could expose our personal information.
Use security software
Of course, our systems must be protected with a good antivirus . In Windows, for example we can use Windows Defender, Avast, Bitdefender and similar options. It doesn’t matter which one we choose, but we do need to make sure it works well. This will prevent the entry of viruses and scan the system for threats.
But beyond the antivirus itself, we can also use other applications such as a firewall or even browser extensions. In all these cases, the goal is to maintain security at all times.
Keep your equipment up to date
On the other hand, it is also important that the operating system, the applications or browsers that we use, are correctly updated . This will allow to correct any vulnerability that may appear. There are many occasions when bugs appear that are exploited by hackers and manage to access accounts.
We must always have the latest versions installed. It does not matter what operating system we use, what browser or applications. We must always have all the patches installed and thus avoid leaving open gaps that can be used by cybercriminals.
In short, protecting the Steam account is very important. We have seen a feature to view logins and we have also given some important tips to protect the account and prevent an intruder from accessing it. We can apply the same to any other online account that we use.
