Secure data and access: The role of encryption and 2FA in gaming

New Delhi: The good thing with online card games is that you can avoid all the collusion and dirty tricks that used to happen in the physical card game scenes. However, online games have different safety challenges to address. An authentic poker or rummy game platform would take utmost care to ensure randomness and eliminate foul play in games. But like all online services, even online games see sensitive online transfer of funds.

Every time you deposit or withdraw from your favourite poker or rummy app, an online transaction takes place. Apart from this financial aspect, a lot of personal information is exchanged on online gaming platforms. It could be your KYC details, your gaming details, or data on your gaming or spending patterns. All of this information must be kept safe and private. 

Online gaming threats and how to tackle them

77 million accounts were compromised when a hacker breached the PlayStation network. This was in 2011, relatively early days in cybersecurity. Comparatively recently, in 2020, over 300,000 Nintendo Switch accounts were exposed in another breach. Gamers who reused their passwords across multiple platforms were particularly affected, across those multiple platforms. 

Such incidents can compromise not just the names and addresses of the gamers but also their credit card and bank information. These crimes are often done with the intention of identity theft and other fraudulent practices.

Phishing attacks are another type of threat that troubles all types of online users, including gamers. These attacks are aimed at collecting login details of users through replica websites or in-game messages. Sophisticated phishing attacks mimic official communications from gaming platforms, which can dupe gamers into revealing private information.

The key takeaway for gamers amid all these threats is to be more careful and alert. The use of strong and unique passwords must be the first line of defence in tackling these threats. Proper discretion must be used while sharing personal information, particularly in social media and gaming communities. Gamers should also keep their games, devices and software updated. Developers release updates to improve security measures, and the same should be regularly downloaded. Gamers should also be careful while using public WiFi, as hackers find them easier to intercept.

However, there are measures like data encryption and two-factor authentication (2FA) that run behind the scenes to protect the interests of gamers.

How encryption is protecting gamers?

Encryption simply converts data into a coded form to eliminate its unauthorised access and use. Gaming platforms use algorithms that transform data from plaintext to ciphertext. A unique key is needed to encrypt and decrypt such data packets. It was estimated that 87% of businesses across all industries would increase investment in encryption technologies in 2024.  

Authentic game platforms ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data exchanged between gamers and the servers by implementing SSL/TLS protocols. This encrypts the data both at storage and during transmission, thus safeguarding sensitive player information. Encryption is one of the various cybersecurity measures adopted by the popular rummy app, RummyPrime. The platform has comprehensive information technology policies and programs that are designed to protect sensitive and personal information. This ensures that the typical RummyPrime player can play rummy games with complete safety.

Falling under the wider umbrella of data protection are the cryptographic hash functions. These functions serve a similar purpose to traditional data encryption. Hash functions like Message Digest Algorithm 5 (MD5) and Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) are used in gaming to convert data into unique digital fingerprints or hash.

In gaming, MD5 is put into use to validate the data integrity of items like in-game asset downloads. SHA, on the other hand, produces more secure hashes that are used to protect sensitive information like player credentials.

While encryption and its evolving avatars run in the background, the protective layer of 2FA is omnipresent for gamers.

Authenticate with freedom

With 2FA, gamers get a reliable control measure in their hands. 2FA is a security process in which users are required to provide two different forms of identification while accessing their accounts. It could be the requirement to enter the account name and password, followed by an OTP sent to the registered mobile number. 

2FA provides an additional layer of security every time a gamer signs into their account. It is the least that gamers should get from gaming platforms in a bid to protect their interests. Gaming platforms are also known to offer different 2FA options, like authenticator apps, SMS authentication, hardware tokens, biometrics, etc. 

The platforms also remind gamers to update their passwords after a specific duration and avoid common passwords for multiple platforms. They also monitor the account activities to highlight suspicious activities to the gamer. This includes activities like unusual login locations, multiple failed login attempts, login attempts through a new device, etc.  

Protecting data and access

Measures like data encryption and 2FA are the most effective tools for platforms to protect gamer interests and demonstrate their commitment towards it. Apart from these measures, gaming security practices also include robust intrusion, detection and prevention systems and regular vulnerability assessments of the gaming infrastructure.