Cybersecurity Top of Mind for Gamers in 2019

McAfee has released the results of a survey that show gamers are particularly worried about cybersecurity when it comes to the future of gaming.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Jan 04, 2019

When you think of gaming, security is not the first thing that comes to mind, but for those who spend a lot of time with their PC games, the security of their information is critical.

McAfee has released results from their survey, Game Over: The Future of Gaming Security, finding that 75 percent of PC gamers identified security as the element that concerns them the most about the future of gaming. The concern from gamers is justified, as nearly two-thirds have or know someone who has been distinctly affected by a cyberattack.

While gamers believe they exhibit good cybersecurity habits, there is still many things they could do to better protect their information.

“We found that gamers are most certainly concerned about cybersecurity, however they tend to engage in poor security habits,” said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at McAfee. “As PC gaming continues to grow in popularity, it’s important for gamers to take steps to help keep their device and personal information protected.”

Gamers seem to be taking some steps in the right direction, like installing antivirus software, but they are also engagement in risky or ineffective behavior that is putting them at risk.

The survey found that 55 percent of gamers reuse passwords across multiple online accounts and 36 percent rely on incognito or private browsing to keep their computer protected. Forty-one percent read the privacy policies associated with games and services, but like private browsing, this technique won't help to keep a PC safe.

McAfee provided the following tips to help keep gamers protected:

• Use unique passwords for all online accounts.
• Use a firewall.
• Think before clicking.
• Use comprehensive security.