Find out how to protect your gaming PC from viruses and invasions – 01/17/2024 – Tech

This is the Combo edition, the Folha’s games newsletter. Do you want to receive it every Tuesday in your email? Sign up below.

Anyone who played the well-known “Downfall” mod from “Slay the Spire” last Christmas may have received a bad gift from Santa Claus. Hackers broke into the game developers’ Steam account and published an update that includes malware capable of stealing passwords stored on players’ computers.

Those responsible for the title stated that the problem was resolved in less than an hour. Still, the episode serves as a reminder of the security risks that games can pose and draws attention to the need to take precautions to prevent an innocent game from becoming a nightmare.

“Gamers often invest a lot of money in games and their equipment, but sometimes they don’t think about the risks associated with this and how much money you can lose,” says Iskander Sanchez-Rola, technical director of privacy innovation at Norton.

I list seven tips to protect your computer from attacks:

Only download games from trusted sites

According to Iskander, the most common problems related to players’ cybersecurity are associated with downloading malware disguised as free titles or pirated versions of popular games.

“Sometimes the presence of malware is not obvious because the game is there. Players download it, play it and think they got the free game, but they are giving away all the data on their computer,” says the expert.

He advises that players only download games from reputable pages and platforms and not believe in fancy offers from disreputable sites.

Be careful with your passwords

Another common problem is account hijacking. This happens when a hacker obtains the password for a user’s gaming platform and “hijacks” it by changing the password and asking for a ransom to restore access to the games.

Iskander recommends that users never use the same password on two different services. This way, even if the secret word is leaked from some website’s database, the player’s account will remain protected.

It also indicates the adoption of two-factor authentication if it is available. This system creates a single-use password when logging into the service on a device or email registered by the user.

Do not disclose personal information

Sites like Reddit and Discord are very popular because they allow communities of gamers to talk about common interests and find companions for gaming nights. Knowing this, many malicious people take advantage of these environments to gain the trust of innocent players.

Personal information disclosed on networks like these can facilitate the theft of passwords and even result in cases of “doxing” (when people have their personal information disclosed on social networks) or “swatting” (a practice that was born as a kind of “prank” against streamers in which someone reports a false crime so that the police invade their home during a live broadcast).

Beware of suspicious links

This tip is as old as the internet itself, but it never hurts to reinforce it. Never click on a link received by email or text message unless you are absolutely sure that the sender of that message is that person or company.

If you identify anything strange in the message or the sender, be suspicious.

“You may receive a link that appears to be from Steam, for example, saying that there is something wrong with your computer or your account, but it is ‘Phishing’ [técnica para extrair dados pessoais de usuários através de fraude]”, says Iskander.

The same care should be taken with links in internet advertisements that seem too good to be true. Try to confirm the offer by other means, for example, by directly accessing the company’s website or game sales platform.

Keep your system up to date

Iskander remembers that some simple practices, such as keeping the computer’s operating system and software up to date, can make the difference in whether or not a hacker is successful in an invasion attempt.

This happens because hackers can take advantage of known vulnerabilities and flaws in these programs (and already fixed in updates) to invade the system or deploy malware to steal user data.

Use a good antivirus

Viewed with bad eyes by many gamers for reducing computer performance and internet speed, antivirus programs are essential tools for computer security.

Iskander recognizes the impact that this software can have, but says that there are already products on the market that even help the computer dedicate all its power to games. They achieve this, for example, by stopping unnecessary background tasks during the game, which is capable of increasing the number of frames displayed per second.

These antiviruses, in addition to improving PC performance, act as a second layer of protection for players in the event of any failure in preventive behaviors.

Don’t forget your cell phone

As the “Downfall” case shows, even applications downloaded from official stores can present vulnerabilities that put the user at risk. Therefore, Iskander states that it is important to remember to use an antivirus solution on mobile devices.

“There is this mentality that just downloading apps from official stores is fine, but games for cell phones can also contain malware. There are some stores that offer protection, but it can still fail,” he says.

---

Play

game tip, new or old, for you to try

Jusant

(PC, PS 5, Xbox X/S)

Developed by French studio Don’t Nod, this climbing game combines environmental puzzles with beautiful landscapes and an exciting story. In it, the player takes on the role of a young man who begins to climb a mountain in a desert environment. Little by little, the history of this curious place begins to reveal itself amidst remains left by the people who lived there. It’s a surprisingly beautiful game, with unique gameplay, unlike anything I’ve ever seen out there.

---

Update

news, launches, business and what matters most

• Valve changed its policy and allowed the publication of games developed with AI on Steam. Developers, however, will have to notify how this technology is present in the game — whether it was used only in development or whether there is “live” content creation by AI. The company says it will monitor these titles to make sure they don’t contain “illegal content” or that infringe copyright.

• The global mobile games market was worth US$107 billion () in 2023, a drop of 2% compared to the previous year, said consultancy Data.ai in its annual report on the mobile market. According to the company, the three mobile games that earned the most this year were “Evony”, “Lineage M”, and “Honkai: Star Rail”.

• ByteDance, owner of TikTok, confirmed that it is putting its gaming operations up for sale. According to the South China Morning Post, Tencent would be among those possibly interested in acquiring the company’s assets.

• Unity, manufacturer of the most used game engine today, announced a restructuring plan that includes the layoff of 1,800 employees (around 25% of the workforce) across all areas of the company. In November, the company had already carried out a first round of layoffs, cutting 265 employees.

• Microsoft considered launching the online multiplayer game “Sea of ​​Thieves”, currently exclusive to Xbox consoles and PCs, on its rival PlayStation’s devices. According to journalist Stephen Totilo, it is not possible to know whether the initiative remains in the company’s plans.

• Sony announced that PlayStation consoles had 123 million active monthly users in December last year. The brand represents a record for the company, which has already sold more than 50 million PlayStation 5.

• Electronic equipment manufacturer MSI announced at CES the launch of a portable gaming computer. The device, called “Claw”, joins the ROG Ally, from Asus, and the Legion GO, from Lenovo, as options for the Steam Deck, from Valve.

• Wildlife has renewed its partnership with the Australian Open to create an online competition parallel to the Grand Slam in the mobile tennis game “Tennis Clash”. It is the second year in a row that the Brazilian developer has partnered.

---

Download

games that will be launched in the next few days and promotions that are worth it

18.jan

“Art of Rally”: R$ 24.90 (iOS)

“Bulletstorm VR”: R$ 214.90 (PS VR2), US$ 35.99 (Quest), price not available (PC)

“Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown”: R$ 209.99 (PC), R$ 239.90 (PS 4/5, Xbox One/X/S, Switch)

“Turnip Boy Robs A Bank”: R$54.95 (Xbox One/X/S), R$65 (Switch), price not available (PC)

19.jan

“Another Code: Recollection”: R$ 299 (Switch)

“Palworld”: price not available* (PC, Xbox One/X/S)

“The Last of Us Part II Remastered”: R$ 249.50 (PS 5)

23.jan

“Howl”: R$46.45 (Xbox X/S), R$74.50 (PS 5)

“Immortality”: price not available (PS 5)

*Available on Xbox Game Pass