Nowadays, more and more people are playing games online; whether on a computer, console, smartphones, tablets, or via social networking sites. However, as will all things, moderation is kery; there are many risks that are associated with this entertaining pastime. Some of these include:
* Most gamers usually play with an assumed identity so you never really know who you may be chatting with.
* Communicating with other players and reckless or inadvertently giving away personal information that includes home address, age, email, password, etc.
* Downloading ‘cheats’ to improve gameplay that may, in fact, contain malicious spyware and viruses.
* Downloading pirated copies of games that can lead to penalties like suspension, locking, or prosecution.
* Becoming addicted to gameplay.
* Players bullying other gamers.
Thankfully, there are a number of things that can be done to protect both you and loved ones when playing online games:
* Only play online games when your anti-virus software is fully up to date and your firewall is running.
* Play online on trusted sites. For example, Platinum Play online is a trusted casino where you can play to your heart’s content without fear of your personal information being compromised.
* Use only licensed and authorized versions of games.
* Buy downloaded files and software from reputable sources to ensure authenticity.
* Utilize strong passwords, with numbers, capitalization, etc. to make them harder to get cracked.
* Keep your personal information to yourself; when you provide this information in the online gaming world, due to the anonymity that it provides, you are never sure that someone is who they say they are.
* Ensure that your gaming software is fully up to date.
* Do not download unauthorized programs, even if they are for a game that you have a license to.
* Read the fine print of the manufacturer’s or hosting company’s’ terms and conditions so that you are fully aware of your rights and responsibilities.
* Curtail your gaming so that you don’t become addicted.
