Live streaming has had such explosive popularity that at any given moment there are millions of people watching live streams across the most popular platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming.
Live streaming, like many online activities, poses cybersecurity risks. Without the right knowledge and tools, you could be sharing a whole lot more than your gameplay.
So whether you’re a veteran making a steady income or a total Newb, today’s easy-to-digest guide aims to help you protect yourself and your info while broadcasting live.
Let’s break down the steps to secure your accounts, avoid cyberattacks, and doxxing.
How To Protect Your Personal Information
Live broadcasts can potentially leak your personal information, and keeping these details safe is in your hands; your info should be regarded as a valuable asset. After all, it’s a valuable asset to cybercriminals!
On-Screen Information Cautions
The smallest slip-up when streaming can have huge consequences so take extra care when you go live. You don’t want your full name, location, or financial details accidentally exposed. Some software offers a “Streamer Mode,” which can help with peace of mind.
Avoid Revealing Interactions
Everyone loves authentic streamers, those who are down to earth and up for a bit of casual conversion with their viewers, subscribers, and patrons, but make sure you watch what you say.
Remember even harmless information could potentially be exploited to track you down, such as your favorite park or café. So, be careful not to disclose anything that could make you identifiable when you’re interacting with your audience.
Security Software & Tools for Streaming
If you want to stay defended, then you might want to consider using reliable software and other security tools.
Choosing A VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you mask your IP address, keeping your location private and helping to prevent targeted attacks.
Remember you want the fastest VPN for gaming to be able to keep up with your broadcast speed without causing any latency issues or lagging your game.
Authenticating Accounts
To make sure you don’t lose control of your account access, activate two-factor authentication (2FA).
In addition to your password a second form of verification, such as a code sent via SMS will be required to log in.
Network Security Management
You also need to consider how protected your home network is for safe streaming.
Router & Network Advice
Make sure you use a strong password for your router with a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols in mixed cases, and ensure that it has the latest updates in place. If the firmware isn’t current you could potentially be at risk.
DDoS Attack Signs
Streamers are prime targets for DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. The denial of service is caused by a flood of excess network traffic, if your network seems unusually slow or irregular then it is a potential red flag.
More Secure Streaming Advice
On top of network firmware security, you need to think about your software and how you use the accounts that power your stream.
Software and Account Tips
With over 3 billion worldwide gamers to target, it really is like a playground out there for hackers. Their typical foot-in is via outdated software, so keep on top of updates and enable them to schedule automatically where possible. This also applies to any plugins that you might use.
Never reuse passwords, create a strong unique password for each account that you use so that if one becomes compromised you aren’t totally compromised. A password manager can help.
Personal Boundaries
Viewer connection is important, but you shouldn’t meet with them in real life, so don’t feel pressured to do so.
Remember that harassment can be an issue with any online interaction, so use moderation tools to filter comments and ban users who don’t behave.
Conclusion
The world of online streaming presents gamers with a whole new level of interaction and connection. However, interacting with an audience and sharing a broadcast also has its fair share of dangers.
Above all, you need to keep your wits about you because the smallest piece of personal information is potentially a big deal.
However, with a little internet savvy, strong account authentication, and the right security tools in place with the latest updates, you can focus on your gameplay and community building.
